scene from my partners story where amelia and jane need to board a Whaling ship and end up saving a baby whale that Jane names "Sunny".


his story is alot better off when i'm not describing what its about, though XD

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Amelia returned to the bridge and took up her usual stance, hands folded neatly behind her back. “All quiet, Mr Bryce?”
The Petty Officer touched his hat respectfully. “Yes, ma'am. No contacts. Well...aside from the usual one.”
“Usual one?”
Bryce pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “That one, ma'am. Still.”
Amelia looked astern and was faintly surprised to see Jane's whale still patiently following the ship along. “I thought he would have left some time in the night.”
“So did I, ma'am,” Bryce shrugged. “I've never known a void whale to do this. Mantabirds, yes. Never a whale. He must really like us.”
Amelia chuckled and shook her head. “We have friends in high places, Mr Bryce.”
Bryce turned around and watched the young whale. “Perhaps he wants to be our new mascot, ma'am.”
“I didn't know we had an old one,” said Amelia. “In any case, I'm sure a ship's mascot should be smaller than the ship itself.”
“A good point, ma'am,” Bryce scratched his head. “And I suppose the quartermaster wouldn't be pleased at having the extra mouth to feed.”
“Indeed not.” Amelia smiled. “Still...it's nice to know it's there.”
“Oh, I say! I'm awfully sorry, do excuse me.”
There was only one person on the ship who would be so painfully polite and correct and she could have identified her even without recognising the sound of her voice. Amelia didn't even turn around.
“Good morning, Miss Porter,”
Jane flicked a lock of hair back from her face and smiled as she stepped onto the bridge. “And good morning to you, too, Amelia. Hello, Mr Bryce.”
“Ma'am.” Bryce touched his hat again.
“What are you looking at?” asked Jane, moving over to them and peering past Amelia's shoulder. Amelia grinned and pointed.
“An old friend of yours,” she said.
Jane followed her gesture and clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh, Sunny's still there! I'm so glad to see that...I knew he was still there...”
“Just as you said last night,” said Amelia. She smiled sideways at Jane. “I don't suppose you can hazard a prediction as to how long he'll be there?”
“I'm afraid not. I'm actually a little surprised he's still there now,” Jane said. “But he's looking well, don't you think?”
“Not bad for an escaped orphan,” said Amelia. “He must have taken quite the shine to you, Miss Porter.”
Jane smiled shyly. “Do you think so? I mean, they are intelligent, like I said, and I thought he understood what I was doing for him...”
“It seems you were right,” Amelia watched him perform a slow barrel roll. Jane laughed.
“I've never seen one do that! How marvellous.”
“Perhaps you should get that sketchbook out,” Amelia said. “The one your father told me about?”
“Perhaps I should, yes.” Jane smiled happily. “I'm sure a moment like this is very rare. I don't think I'll ever get so close to him again.”
“You could take a longboat out again,” said Bryce.
Jane shook her head. “No...thank you, but no. He's still a wild animal. I mean, he should be...wild and free. He's probably just following us because we're going towards the Megapterans.”
“We're only a couple of days away now,” said Amelia.
“It's so good to see him, though,” Jane went on. “I think I might get my book out after breakfast. Would you like to join me, Amelia?”
Amelia gave her a small formal bow. “My pleasure, Miss Porter. Once I'm relieved of the watch, that is.”
“Of course, of course.” Jane smiled. “Well, then. I suppose I'll see you soon.”
She turned and left the bridge, but couldn't resist the temptation to glance over her shoulder at the whale that was following them. She fought down a strange urge to wave to it, laughed softly at herself, and went below.



It was three days later. The Megapterans were so close at noon that they seemed to fill half the sky. The young stars were burning a bright yellow, their radiance only fractionally diffused by the clouds of gas that still clung around them. The Resolute was approaching at a shallow angle that caused sharply-defined shadows to be cast across the deck even from the thinnest of ropes in the rigging. Archimedes stood on the forecastle and shaded his eyes as he looked at the stars.
“Amazing sight, eh, Janey?” he said.
“Yes, father. It certainly is.” Jane leaned on the railing and enjoyed the warmth on her face.
“I'm sure your friend is enjoying it, too,” Archimedes went on. “Is he still there?”
“My friend?” Jane looked around. “Oh, I see...oh, wait...no, I don't...I don't think he is...”
Archimedes stared as she darted aft, dodging around clusters of working crew members and leaping up the bridge stairs. Lieutenant Harburn was bent over the ship's console with Costell and Amelia and looked up in surprise as Jane flew past them.
“Miss Porter?” Harburn called out. Jane ignored him and ran to the stern rail, looking around. Amelia broke off from the small group of officers and went to her.
“Are you all right, Jane?” she asked quietly.
“I can't see him,” Jane squinted into the haze. “Do you have a telescope?”
Costell passed one over. Jane fumbled with it for a moment, extended it and put it to her eye. The big, graceful shape which had become part of the ship's nights and days was gone, as if it had never been there.
“He's gone,” said Jane. “Sunny's gone. Did you see when he left?”
“I'm sorry, Miss Porter,” Amelia touched her hand out of sight. “I didn't. He was still there when I came off watch. Perhaps Lieutenant Forrest saw something?”
“I know I didn't,” said Costell. “I'm sorry, ma'am. Perhaps we could ask the lookout?”
“The lookouts will have other things on their mind, I'm afraid,” said Harburn. “Look at this.”
Jane looked at the console's main screen, which was showing the view from the ship's telescopes. A cloud of objects was visible, black and shadowy where they faced away from the suns, bright and reflective where they didn't.
“Asteroids,” said Amelia. “Probably a newly-formed planet that got too close to the stars and was pulled apart.”
“It's not on the charts,” Costell sighed. “So it happened recently, whatever it was.”
“'Recently' meaning any time in the last century or so,” said Harburn. “This isn't the best-known part of the universe.”
“Whenever it happened, we'll need to find a course through them,” Amelia explained. “All eyes and instruments are on them for now.”
Jane nodded. “I...I understand. I'm sorry.”
“No apologies needed, ma'am,” said Harburn stiffly. “Frankly, that whale's a lot more at home out here than we are. How long until we reach them, Mr Costell?”
“Three hours, sir,” said Costell.
“Very good. My respects to the captain, Ms Amelia. Inform him of the situation.”
Amelia saluted. “Aye, sir.”
She turned to Jane as she followed her off the bridge. “The First Lieutenant is right, Jane. This is Sunny's environment here. Wherever he's gone, I'm sure he's safe.”
“Yes...I'm sure, too.” Jane looked down. Amelia stopped under the break of the bridge and took her hand comfortingly.
“He'll have learned a valuable lesson not to go near strange ships,” she said. “He'll be taking care of himself now. You saw to that.”
“Thank you.” Jane squeezed her hand. “I do hope so.”