Okay, when they said it would just take sea transport from one nation to another.....that's a lie. The distance between the country that is America and Kiel is literally....beyond the travel distance. And it takes more than 30 days - a month - to get there, even more. To make sure the girls wouldn’t be stranded with a much, much longer wait, Luna received an email on her smartphone outlining a carefully planned, two-part schedule. The first would be a four-day sea voyage, departing for Hawaii. From there, the second part of the trip would take them on a standard flight (private) from Hawaii to Kiel. It might seem sudden at first, but it is how far their boss man can get a proper clearance. Tight restrictions are in place—no one is allowed to leave; and no one is permitted to stay. The warnings are clear, and still unyielding.

The girls finally arrived at the seaport. The air had thickness to it with the scent of saltwater, and the hum of activity around them.

This first journey aboard a ship would be a lesson in itself—one they would have to learn and make amends for along the way. It was sure a surreal experience.

When the girls arrived at the port, they stepped out of the van and stood out of the openness as the air coming from the sea hit them in their faces. Standing as if they were statues, and for a few seconds, their eyes marveled at the sea that seemed to stretch as far as the eye can see.

"So, this is it," Luna said, standing still as a rock just beside Alice.

"Yeah," Alice agreed in a slow mutter.

But then suddenly as if the last thing they forgot to bring came into fruition.

She looked like her eyes were about to jump out of the sockets when she realized the sheer mistake that've done. "NO SHIT! WE DIDN'T BRING ANY FOOD WITH US!" Alice pressed her hands against her head and went into panic mode.

"You did WHAT?!" Luna panicked as well, as she turned to Alice in quick motion.

"I-I must have forgotten...." Alice couldn't believe it.

"How can you miss it?!" Luna said. Just a couple of hours ago they were on lunch break, and it didn't occur to them that they were going on a trip. On sea! "We just had lunch - Why didn't you think of it?!"

"Me?! What about you?!" Alice pointed at herself then returned it to Luna. "I'm not the only one at fault here, if anything, it's both our own fault."

Without any sustenance to keep them at bay while on board the ship - What were they going to eat on the ship?

Cannibal. What, No! Okay, maybe not all is lost.

The ship that they are boarding must have something that they could eat. If it's paid to eat, then they'll use their own money to alleviate the hunger. Besides, a ship such as the one that they are boarding won't just be lacking behind on basic items. That is impossible.

"Alright then, let us be on our way," Luna said.

"Are you serious!" Alice asked seriously.

In her defense, Luna knew what she was doing. "Come on already. I'm sure the ship crew can provide food for us....and look there," she pointed at a distance.

"There are people over there as well."

"I don't think a vessel like that won't be serving food to their passengers, right," she said in a way that might seem reasonably just.

Alice was listening, but she had another idea.

"You go ahead," she said. "Imma go to the nearest shop here. Better prepare for the worst."

Finding the nearest just a few meters from where they were, Alice found a medium-sized business store. Alice bought inexpensive items that are affordably cheap. She did see the expensive items too. She bought those as well. The money that she had for her savings was enough, and enough she'll want to spend, maybe a little bit.

On the other hand, Luna walked over to the departure area. She talked to one of the crewmen who was stationed out at the port. He checked for tickets, making sure people complied with the standards of service. Luna didn't have on her tangible copies of their tickets or an ID card to tell things apart, but she did have a pdf copy on her smartphone.

Will they accept this type of clearance form? She thought.

"E-excuse me, sir," Luna kindly asked. "I-Is this ship headed for Hawaii?"

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The man stood around 5-foot-9, easily towering over Luna, who seemed small in comparison—almost like a building in his shadow. He fixed his gaze on her, setting his pen and clipboard aside as he approached. His stare was intense, as though it could pierce right through her. But when he finally spoke, his voice was a stark contrast to his intimidating presence—surprisingly calm, and not at all what one might expect from someone who looked so formidable.

"Yes, it is," the man said. "Why? Are you by chance on the list?"

"As a matter of fact, I am....well technically" Luna abruptly said, seizing the opportunity and presented the pdf copy on her smartphone. "Here," she handed the crewman her smartphone.

"Hmmmm?" the crewman glanced at the smartphone. He had suspicious look on his face.

The crewman took a good look at the documents. For some reason, he was taking his time as he focused on the smartphone screen.

"I-Is everything okay, sir?" Luna shakingly asked as if fearing the worst might come to pass.

Unfortunately, the crewman was nowhere near responsive at the time of her question. But he did do something, just not what Luna might have expected. He pulled up his walkie talkie from behind his strap and spoke to the other side. "Hey Mich, do you repeat."

Radio: Yeah, what's your call?

"I got something that you might want to look at. Are you free?" the crewman said.

Radio: I'm free, what's that you got?

"Just something that requires your expertise, and bring your tablet along," the crewman strongly said.

Radio: What?!

Radio: Now you gotta tell me!

"No can do," the crewman said negatively. "Just get your ass here already, then you'll know! Got it!"

Radio: Yeahhhhh, surrrreee....Why not listen to you and waste MY time.

Just after the other side finally spoke, the radio died down.

"Grrrrr!" the crewman growled in annoyance. "That damn weasel!"

As much as the crewman wanted to lash out, he had to restrain himself, especially with Luna standing there, quietly waiting for him turn to respond. Truth be told, she was a little freaked out by the crewman's voice. She thought that crewman was about to explode anytime soon.

Looking in the direction of Luna, the crewman finally spoke to her again, "Sorry about that ma'am, I'll have my friend over to get you all sorted out."

Luna was in relief. But something he said did not fit well - what the crewman said. Did he just me Ma'am?

The wait for the second crewman wasn’t too bad—he didn’t take long to arrive. But by the time he showed up, checking the documents was the last thing on anyone’s mind. Instead, it quickly became clear that something was off between the two crewmen. It wasn’t just about the paperwork. No, there was some unresolved tension between them, like the way Crewman 1 had spoken to Crewman 2 over the radio earlier. The two of them went back and forth, arguing fiercely. Luna couldn’t make sense of it; she had no idea what had caused their hostility. But what did she know? She was just there to get their clearance and be on her way.

The tension finally broke when Crewman 1 spoke up, his voice sharp. "Alright, enough! I didn’t call you about your shenanigans." He pointed toward the distance. "Look over there! That’s one of our customers—now go do your job!" he gave him the smartphone and pushed him by the shoulder.

Whisper......

"Sorry about that, uhm,....what...should I call you?" Crewman 2 said as he found it hard to address someone young. "What is your name?"

"Luna, sir," Luna said unbegrudgingly.

"And what seems to be the problem," crewman asked.

"I don't have formal tickets or ID cards, so the best thing I have is a copy on my smartphone, which I showed to the other guy."

"This right here," crewman 1 showed her smartphone.

"Yes, that's the one," Luna quickly said aloud.

The crewman glanced at the copy of the document on Luna's smartphone, then shifted his attention to the list of names on his tablet, comparing the two with a focused look.

Just as Luna was about to give up hope of ever getting their clearance, the crewman finally looked up, his eyes flicking with a subtle hint that said, you're good to go.

"Ah, here it is," Crewman 2 said, his tone unexpectedly genuine. "Luna Hillsberg, right?"

"Yes, that's me," Luna happily nodded.

"I've also got another name here: Alice Wolfstein. Did I get that right?" Crewman 2 continued, glancing at the list and confirming the other name with a raised brow.

"Yes, that's correct," Luna replied. "But she's not here yet—she went to the store. She'll be back soon."

Seeing that Luna was being honest, the crewman seemed to grasp the situation and nodded in understanding. "I see. Alright then," he said, agreeing without hesitation.

"Oh, and one more thing," Luna said, glancing toward the van. "Is it alright if we bring that along too?"

"Van?" Crewman 2 turned his head, following her gaze. "Oh, yeah, sure. Just hand me the keys, and I'll drive it in for you."

"You do have the keys, right?" Crewman 2 asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I do... it's just that—" Luna hesitated, her voice trailing off. She wasn’t about to hand over the keys, not with all the valuable equipment inside. She didn’t fully trust the crewman, not yet.

But the crewman saw right through her hesitation. "Let me guess," he said with a knowing look. "You’ve got valuable stuff inside, and that’s why you don’t trust me." He paused, then added with a shrug, "Don’t worry about it. I handle this kind of thing all the time."

"You, sure?" Luna asked reassuringly.

"Do I look like I have all the answers, miss?" Crewman 2 said with a friendly but unknowing certainty.

"No."

"But it's up to you," Crewman 2 said, his tone shifting to neutral as he waited. "I'll wait."

.

.

.

.

.

"Wait—here’s the key!" Luna said quickly, handing it over with a reluctant sigh.

******

It was a relief that Alice had packed snacks—small provisions tucked away in their bags. At least now they could eat and take their minds off things, without letting any of the frustrations get the better of them. As Alice stepped out of the store, she spotted Luna standing in the area where the rest of the passengers were waiting.

"There’s Luna," Alice murmured to herself. "I should go over to her."

As Alice got closer, she called out to her, "Luna! Luna! Luna!"

"Oh, hey Alice," Luna said, looking over at her as she panted, catching her breath. "What's up?"