Sam felt a jolt wake her as the taxi ran over a speed bump in their approach to Dover docks, she wiped saliva from the side of her cheek and grimaced, well at least she had gotten an extra couple of hours sleep.
she looked out of the cab window and saw the big castle on the hill. Dover was an old port town and had been an important one for centuries. At just 21 miles from France it was the closest port to Europe and as such was the home to the Dover to Calais ferry as well as being a tourist destination. There were medieval castles dotted around the landscape, evidence of the import of the area for almost a millennia. It was also home to the globally famous chalky white cliffs.
But none of that interested Sam at the moment, she was searching for the state of the art cruise ship terminal that housed The storm haven cruise ship. Sam shook her head still not really comprehending that her new academy was on a fricking boat. In all actuality it was a pretty big vessel. Originally built to hold 3000 passengers and was 1000ft long. Apparently it had been modified to hold just 2000 people all told including crew, teachers and pupils so at least everyone got a bit more leg room she guessed. Even more so considering the actual total compliment only totalled just over nine hundred people. It looked like storm haven was built with expansion in mind.
She eyed the sea to her left as they passed Dover beach and she began to see ships. Big ships And huge cranes which looked a lot like cargo ships even to her untrained eye, then she espied the p&o ferry, but finally engulfing that puny little vessel was the mighty “storm haven.” With it's massive white hull and ten decks there was no missing that monster.
“Going on holiday miss?” enquired the cabby. Sam shook her head sadly.
“Nope. Unfortunately that's my home for the next 5 years.”
“That's a long old contract. Especially for one so young, I guess you must be pretty special heh?” Sam snorted. “ Well my mum thinks so anyhow.” the cabby grinned as he swiped her card and then she was walking towards the behemoth that was meant to be able to turn her mundane self into a Magi extraordinaire. She shook her head, there was no way that was going to happen. She just knew it, Sam just hoped her mum wouldn't be too upset when she came back empty handed.
Sam walked into the enormous terminal two building. the place was huge sleek and modern, she gazed around feeling a little lost.
“Miss Holden?” Sam looked up sharply, had someone just called out her name? She looked around, trying to find the face behind the voice.
“Miss Holden!” Sam turned to her right and saw a man in his ...early sixties?...a bit younger? Hard to tell, he was slim built with a rather effeminate posture to him and he was waving a long slender arm with a slightly limp wrist, as if his hand was just a little too heavy to be easily manageable ...OK...
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
She smiled at him and replied. “Yes I'm Sam Holden... and you are uh... sir?”
“Ah yes of course how remiss of me. I am Porter, Nathaniel Porter. I am head master Smythe's chief assistant. I'm here to gather the lost souls wandering the terminal waiting to board the storm haven. If you'll follow me!”
“Sure.” replied Sam. “How did you know it was me anyhow, you don't even have a clip board on you?”
“Well this isn't our first pick up miss Holden, we've been doing this for some time you know, Yes some time in deed. Since the second world war. Hmm... nasty affair that yes definitely.”
“Nasty?” asked Sam. “As in the war, is that the reason you now teach academy on a boat?”
“Boat!? A boat!? “ Porter looked at Sam with incredulity. “I'll have you know the storm haven is a glorious and enormous ship. It has an internal volume of 120,000 gross tonnes. Imagine it. It's like a floating castle. Except one that the Nazi's damn them can't bomb without prejudice. well as long as we can outrun and hide from them. Any how. it has recently been painstakingly re-engineered to serve the academy's needs perfectly. It cost hundreds of millions to buy and refurbish. Hundreds!”
clearly Sam had hit a nerve. “Wow. That does sound impressive erm.. sir.. but that still doesn't let me know how you found me?”
“Oh that. Why your boarding pass of course. It's been magically enhanced and it has been imprinted to your genes, only you can use it and you glow like a star in the nights sky.”
“Oh.” Sam looked down at herself, she didn't like the idea of glowing like she was radioactive, but she didn't see anything, so it can't be that harsh... right?
“So erm... where are we off to Mr Porter?”
“Porter!”
Sam looked around. “What?”
“Call me Porter. Everyone does, don't worry I wont take offence, everyone's called me that for over 200 hundred years. Mr Porter is my father. Hmm.. yes indeed and you definitely call him Mr! Oh yes. You'll be in trouble otherwise.”
Sam mouth “200?” to herself and his dad was still up and running around? Lord above what was she getting herself into?
The two walked towards an expansive catering area where a small crowd of young people crowded together looking in some cases pensive and others as if this was the start to the holiday of a life time, laughing and joking while stuffing they're faces with whatever junk food was available. Sam hoped the academy ships caterers had a better menu than what appeared to be available here.
“There you go miss Holden. Yes indeed, Your erm.. hmm.. peers. Just relax while I look around for the other lost students. We are still missing a few, indeed yes only a couple but hmm... yes not good to leave them behind! No definitely not.”