The Captain's Log: Eltanin's First Battle: Slime

INT. CAPTAIN'S CABIN - DAY

ELTANIN, a 28-year-old Paperdemon pirate captain, lounges at his desk, not doing much of anything. He looks up as something rustles in the corner.

ELTANIN
Come here, lad.

The door creaks open. A head is just about to peek around the corner...

MATCH CUT TO:

FLASHBACK - INT. CAPTAIN'S CABIN - DAY
12-year-old Eltanin pokes his head through the door. Unlike his adult self, he's well-groomed, dressed in ship's boy attire, and his horns are small nubs poking through his bandana.

ELTANIN
Yes, ma'am?

HENRIETTA 'HENRY' DEVEREAUX is sitting behind the desk now. She's a larger human woman in her mid-thirties, dressed in a cocked hat and dark blue coat typical of an Avangard privateer.

HENRY
I've got a bit of a slime problem. Take care of it, would you?

 
ELTANIN
Right away, ma'am.

Henry smiles, stands, and leaves the room. Eltanin creeps towards a shaking pile of boxes in the corner, a fire nervously cradled in both hands. It flickers, poorly-controlled, and he nearly drops it once or twice.

ELTANIN
(to himself)
Please don't squeal...

He kicks the boxes with his foot. A small green slime, about the size of a cat, darts out, and he shrieks and stumbles backward, the flame sputtering out as he hits the floor.

HENRY (O.S.)
You alright in there, lad?

ELTANIN
Fine!
(to himself)
Okay. Okay...

He staggers to his feet. The slime has retreated under the desk, making wet schlorping sounds. He picks up one of the boxes, shakes out the books inside, and flips it around so its open end is in front of him. He tiptoes towards the desk, lowering the box to ground level.

He kicks the desk, and the slime sprints out, straight into the box. The box thrashes around as Eltanin holds it down with both hands, contemplating his next move...

CUT TO:

FLASHBACK - EXT. REDOUBTABLE MAIN DECK - DAY
Henry taps her foot on the floor as she stands outside her cabin. The door swings open, and Eltanin steps out, carrying the box in both hands. It's shaking and squelching, and green slime has almost soaked through the bottom.

HENRY
What's this, now?

 
ELTANIN
The... slime, ma'am.

 
HENRY
You daft, boy?

 
ELTANIN
I didn't want to kill it! It didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry.

Henry's expression softens. She holds out her hands, and Eltanin hands the box to her, wide-eyed.

HENRY
In this line of work, you'll run into plenty of folks who've done nothing wrong.

Some you might even feel bad for.

But it's not our place to judge, only carry out the orders given to us.

 

She carries the box to the edge of the ship, a thousand metre drop just over the taffrail. Eltanin averts his eyes, but looks up as he hears a thunk. Henry has emptied the box into one of the open barrels on the deck, and she pushes the top header in place, sealing it safely inside.

HENRY
We'll release it next port call. What happens afterward isn't our problem.

ELTANIN
T-thank you, ma'am.

END FLASHBACK.

INT. CAPTAIN'S CABIN - DAY
BRENNAN SHAPPELL, a 15-year-old human teenager, pokes his head around the door.

SHAPPELL
Yes, sir?

ELTANIN
I've got a bit of a slime problem. Take care of it, would you?

Shappell draws his knife from his belt.

SHAPPELL
Right away, sir.

ELTANIN
Woah there, lad. Put that blade away. It's not done anything wrong.

Eltanin points to one of the empty boxes in the corner of the cabin.

ELTANIN
Get it in there first, and I'll see about getting us a barrel.

FADE OUT