Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
My grandmother killed the engine after we’d pulled into our driveway, but she didn’t get out. She tapped a red nail on the gear shift, waiting.
Eventually, she asked, “Something you want to tell me?”
I thought about it for all of half a second before deciding I’d be taking this particular transgression to my grave. “No.”
“Right, then, let’s get inside,” she said, no hint of judgment. “I’m about to start supper.”
I never knew if Phillip lodged an official complaint with the quiz-bowl organization or if he tried to take the issue any higher. All I know is that I couldn’t sleep for a week after I cut that cord, because I was so scared that the consequences of my actions were going to come back to bite me in the ass. I never did tell my grandmother what I’d done, and the shame and weight of my lie ate away at me. It might have continued on like that forever if karma hadn’t stepped in.
On the day of the regionals competition, Shelby came down with a terrible stomach bug. She couldn’t even make it out of the bathroom. Our team had to forfeit our match, and that was the end of my middle school quiz-bowl career.
The case grew cold. No quiz-bowl moderator ever came knocking on my door. There was never a warrant out for my arrest.
I made peace with my mistake and moved on from it, deciding that everything worked out the way it was meant to.
Except now of course I realize I was wrong.
Karma isn’t finished with me yet, and Phillip seems intent on getting his due.
Chapter Four
PHILLIP
The sun shines brightly overhead. There’s not a single cloud in the sky as Aurelia slices through the water with calm efficiency. I look around the bridge, and I can’t help but think of all the naysayers. How many times was I told that this wasn’t possible? That the technology wasn’t up to snuff? That if only I could wait another five or ten years, I would have no issue constructing a ship run solely on renewables.
I can’t help the satisfied smile from creeping across my face before I take a small sip of my celebratory Macallan. I should be a gentleman about it, but truthfully, given the option, I’d love to rub everyone’s noses in this success.
I did it, assholes.
I stand beside the captain on the bridge as we cruise away from port. We’ll reach Key West tomorrow, our first stop of many on this maiden voyage. Though I’ve grown up on boats and yachts, my captaining experience lies mostly with sailboats, nothing of this caliber. I enjoy watching Captain Neal at work. He makes it all seem easy, and he damn well should. He’s the best in the business, and he’s getting paid a staggering amount of money to captain this vessel.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I check to confirm it’s another email from the ship’s chief engineer. We’ve been in constant communication. With so many new energy systems in use, I can’t take any chances. I’ve doubled the engineering staff on board, outpacing maritime requirements so that there will be no shortage of hands on deck should we need them.
I’ve requested hourly reports from the chief engineer. The last few have confirmed that all systems are functioning just as we’d hoped.
I breathe a small sigh of relief.
On this first day especially, it feels like there’s a lot on the line. If there’s one thing I know about technology, it loves to fail. I can’t allow it. There are too many influential people on board. Too many reporters and journalists and photographers who would love the pleasure of writing a scathing review, detailing every instance of failure on our part.
If I hear one more joke about another notorious ship’s maiden voyage in comparison to ours, I’ll throw the joker overboard. Better yet, I’ll order someone else to do it for me.
I pocket my phone again and tune in to the conversation taking place behind me. While all our other invited guests are with Ms. Patel enjoying an exhaustive tour of the ship, including the technical areas usually off limits to anyone outside of the crew, we’ve granted Arthur Burton, a lead reporter from The Times in London, an exclusive interview. Our first of many on this trip.
I try not to let that thought sour my mood.
This moment is cause for celebration.
Besides, Tyson Ackres has it. There was no way I was taking this trip without him. As my closest friend and business partner, Tyson knows he has to be the sunshine to my rain, the smiling, cheery face to my otherwise doom and gloom.
I listen as Tyson gives Arthur a tour of the bridge. Just like everything else on this ship, our command center is pushing boundaries. Tyson explains how we’ve employed sensors, cameras, and artificial intelligence to help analyze data for millisecond-by-millisecond situational analysis. Thermal imaging, GPS, AWIPS, radar, sonar, ECDIS, lidar—we have an almost unlimited amount of data the crew on board can utilize to their advantage.