Fluke

5: Seas The Day

A few days later, I climbed back aboard the Millennium Osprey with Robbie and Nastasya for my first data collection expedition. I sat on one of the benches close to the steering wheel of the boat where Robbie sat, and Nastasya pointed to something on the GPS-style map screen.

A voice came over the radio of the boat, and I stared out the window, watching a dorsal fin sail through the water. It probably belonged to a basking shark, since they were particularly common around Paradise City, and they spent much of their time close to the surface of the water, catching as many rays of sunshine as they could.

There weren't too many sunny days, so they had to take advantage while they could.

"Four humpbacks are at about forty-three degrees and forty-nine minutes north, sixty-eight degrees and thirty minutes west," the voice said.

"Thanks. We'll check it out," Robbie said, then changed the course of the boat slightly.

"Looks like we got a lead." Nastasya sat beside me. "I've never been on a whale research trip before. I know you said you identify whales, but what exactly do you do?"

She remembered?

I smiled. "Well, every whale's fluke looks different, just like a fingerprint on a human. Using the patterns on their fins and backs, I can figure out which whale it is from the collection of identities and photos in a database, add my notes on their health and location, then move on to the next whale."

"That's amazing," Nastasya said. "How many whales are in the database?"

"About three thousand humpbacks, two thousand finbacks, and thousands of whales of other species too."

"So you take pictures of their flukes, then pick out which patterns match out of thousands?"

I picked up the camera from my lap. "Yep."

"You're absolutely crazy, and I mean that in the best way." She shook her head, and her ponytail swung with it.

"Hey Nastasya, get up here and hold the wheel straight," Robbie said.

"Why don't you, captain?" she replied.

Robbie laughed. "Dammit, just do as you're told. I get nothing but sass from you."

Nastasya's stone-cold expression didn't change, but she stood up and grabbed a hold of the steering wheel as Robbie turned his chair to face me.

"Alright, kiddo, we're about five minutes away from those whales Mitch brought up, so you can do whatever you do, and—" Robbie said, but Nastasya interrupted.

"Are you really making me hold the wheel, so you can just say this?"

"Shut up and drive the boat." Robbie laughed. "And yes, because I'm the captain, and I can do what I want. Now pay attention to what you're doing, or I'll never leave the boat to you in my will."

Well, that was kind of depressing.

"Anyway, as I was saying, Reagan, you're the captain now," Robbie said.

Nastasya rolled her eyes. "Oh, for God's sake, Robbie."

"Um, thanks, but I don't really have a boat license, so I'm not sure I'd make a good captain. Maybe I should just focus on research stuff," I said.

"No, no. The metaphorical, honorary captain. I'm wearing the captain hat, so I'm the real captain," Robbie said as he pointed to his authentic captain's hat that he probably got from Walmart.

I laughed. "Okay. I wasn't quite ready for so much responsibility right off the bat."

Nastasya's harsh eyes caught sight of the other materials and equipment I brought onto the Millennium Osprey, and naturally, they finally fixated on the case with my weapon (or, rather, tool) of choice.