Until recently, I worked as a chef on a small research vessel.
When I was younger, I had always envisioned myself as head chef at an upscale restaurant in the centre of a metropolitan city. I had always loved cooking, and I had a naively romantic vision of what owning my own restaurant would look like. I imagined creating innovative new dishes that I would serve personally to glamorous patrons who would absolutely adore my food.
I worked really hard at that goal for a while. I actually made it into the kitchen of a very well respected restaurant working as sous chef. By that time, the romantic vision I had had of working at a fancy restaurant was long gone, replaced by the reality of fast-paced blisteringly hard work. But I still loved it.
What made me leave that restaurant was the colossal mistake of dating someone I worked with (I really should’ve known better). Anyway, long-story-short, after a dumpster-fire break-up, I immediately started looking for a job elsewhere. And I wanted to go as faaaaaar away as I could!
It felt like the stars had aligned when I saw that a private research vessel was looking for a chef. The job listing explained that the ship carried 25 people including crew, technicians, deep submergence professionals and scientists. The chef (along with an assistant) would have to arrange meals and snacks for the entire team for the length of their 60 day expedition…. on the Norwegian Sea!
That was faaaaar away!
I applied immediately! And I was wildly excited when I got hired!
But I was also quite nervous; I had never been in charge of my own kitchen before. I threw myself into doing the absolute best I could.
Lila was my assistant in the kitchen. Although it was her first time working on this specific ship, she had worked on the sea before, so could give me some advise. I learned quickly how to steady myself to keep chopping efficiently when the ship was being tossed about in the waves during the stormier days and how to set menus based on weather (a rolling sea doesn’t pair well with boiling water). I felt extremely lucky to have Lila working with me. She was a hard worker while also being extremely funny, always keeping the energy in the kitchen as light and playful as possible. We got on really well together and seamlessly locked into a good routine.
At the end of my first week, Captain Gilday came and complimented us personally (apparently the chef during the last expedition liked adding undercooked onions and sun dried tomatoes to everything).
Although it could be stressful to put together meals with just the two of us, that kitchen swiftly became my happy place.
It kept me very busy. So busy, I didn’t pay much attention to what exactly the scientists were up to on their expedition (when I did hear them talking, most of their scientific jargon went over my head). For the most part, we kept separate. While they were focused on their charts, samples, surveys and measurements, I was focused on prepping, chopping, serving and cleaning.
I got to get to know them a bit better at mealtimes though. I learned that the person who headed up the expedition was Gregory. He was about 40 years old. A rough and tumble sort who liked to laugh loudly and enthusiastically play jigs on his fiddle for everyone in the evenings. He had apparently secured private funding for the expedition and had enlisted the core team of 4 other scientists:
Meera - She was in her mid 30s. She spoke with a gravelly voice and had a tendency to be blunt with her colleagues. She intimidated me the most out of the bunch. The only time I saw her smile was when she was dancing to Gregory’s music with the crew. She was a very good dancer.
Rune - He was early 30s, and clearly wildly brilliant but refreshingly without any ego; he actually came across as a very eager-to-please sort. He often wanted to go over the details of his day’s findings, but I could never manage to understand what he was talking about. I didn’t know enough about science or the sea and I had no idea what “seafloor bathymetry” or “seabed backscatter” meant, but he always seemed so enthusiastic, so I’d just smile and nod along.
Lucia - She was around Gregory’s age. She embodied confident capability while holding herself with graceful elegance. It seemed like Gregory and Lucia had probably had some sort of romantic history in the past, but had then moved into a close working colleague relationship (I found myself jealous that they seemed able to progress in that mature way).
And
Ivan - He was probably in his late 30s, but seemed weathered beyond his years. He was mostly quiet, working away at whatever he was working on. He really didn’t speak much. The most he ever said to me was a quick thanks at mealtimes.
It wasn’t until the scientists found a shipwreck when I really started to pay attention to their work. Everyone on board was super excited, including me! I’d never thought I’d be involved in a discovery like that.
They figured the wreck was probably from the early 1800s. Judging by the characteristics of the shore, they assumed the ship must’ve been caught in a storm or a fog bank, which would’ve caused them to crash against an unchartered partially submerged rocky outcrop.
What was especially amazing about the wreck was that there were many remaining artefacts. The cold water, and relatively calm water in the bay the ship went down in, allowed a lot to stay intact. The scientists weren’t supposed to move anything until they had a special permit, but they brought up photographs of what they found and we all crowded around to look at them that evening.
There were clothing remnants and shoes as well as coins and jewelry found in what would’ve been the crew and Captain’s quarters. Scattered around elsewhere were tools, crates, lanterns, and even a broken violin (Gregory was especially excited about that). There were also crates of whisky. Most of the bottles were still fully intact with their wax seals unbroken.
That night, the team of scientists cracked out champagne (a lot of it) to celebrate their discovery. They invited all the crew to celebrate with them. We had a fantastic time. Gregory played the fiddle and Captain Gilday even called a few dances for us.
By about 2am, a bunch of people had gone to bed, but the scientists were still up along with Captain Gilday and a few other crew, including Lila and me. Most were rather drunk at that point, except for me (I had decided to give up alcohol as part of my fresh start taking this job).
It was around 2am when Gregory asked everyone: “Who’s up for a nightcap?” There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye when he asked it.
Then he pulled out a bottle of whisky. It was a bottle from the shipwreck!
Captain Gilday immediately became serious. “You can’t drink that,” she told him.
“No one’s going to miss one bottle from a whole crate that hasn’t been missed for over 200 years,” Gregory replied with a laugh. “C’mon, who’s in for some shipwreck whisky?!”
“It’s not safe,” Captain Gilday told him sternly.
“It’s quite safe,” Meera said. “The seal is still on. Shipwreck whisky, sunken scotch, banished bourbon- whatever you want to call it- it can actually sell for a ton of money. It’s very drinkable.”
“It’s bad luck,” Captain Gilday said. “We don’t know why that ship went down. We don’t know what… who… may still be attached to its artefacts.”
“Attached?” Lucia asked with a smile. “Don’t tell me you’re superstitious, Captain?”
“No one is drinking that on my ship. That’s an order, got it?” the Captain said.
“Got it,” Gregory replied, putting the whisky away.
Captain Gilday looked relieved. “Good,” she said. “Now, I think it’s time for bed.”
Then she left.
Gregory waited less than a minute before opening the whisky.
“Shhhhh,” he said in a sly whisper. “What the Captain doesn’t know won’t hurt her, eh?”
He poured it into glasses. “C’mon, who’s up for it?”
“Shipwreck whisky? Absolutely!” Lila said, taking a glass. The scientists all took one as well.
The remaining crew members politely declined saying they had to follow the Captain’s orders. They excused themselves for bed. I also felt uncomfortable disobeying the Captain, but as I wasn’t drinking, I used that as my reason not to partake. I didn’t go to bed though; I was still very curious about the whisky.
The scientists and Lila gathered in a circle and raised their glasses.
“To shipwreck whisky!” Gregory shouted in a toast.
“Shhhh, don’t let the Captain hear,” Lucia reminded him. It really wasn’t a big boat and Gregory sure had a voice that could carry.
“To shipwreck whisky!” They all whispered exuberantly, then clinked their glasses together.
“What does it taste like?” I asked. I almost wished I had taken a glass for myself. What other chance was I going to get to taste history like that?
“Goes down nicely,” said Gregory.
“The flavour profile is… interesting,” said Rune. “Not the best whisky I’ve had, to be honest. But quite thrilling to taste nonetheless.”
“Hmmm, yes,” Lila said softly. I noticed she wasn’t responding with her usual pep, but I chalked that up to all the alcohol of the evening getting to her.
Everyone’s laughter and conversation died down as they sipped their whisky. Until they were all completely silent. I thought it was a bit strange, but it was very late; I thought they were probably all getting tired.
Then Gregory picked up his fiddle and started playing a tune. It wasn’t like the other tunes he had played. It wasn’t a jig. It was slower, and more solemn. The tune was unfamiliar to me.
Then Rune started singing along to it. A beautiful old shanty. I had never heard him sing before. His voice had an almost etherial lightness to it. It was beautiful.
Then Meera joined in. It surprised me that she also sang; she never struck me as a singing type. Their harmonies complimented each other perfectly.
It surprised me when Ivan joined them. I’d hardly heard a full sentence out of his mouth before, and now he was singing a full song.
Lucia also joined. It seemed like it was a song they had sung together many times before.
Then Lila started singing. That really surprised me. She hadn’t spent much time with the scientists. I definitely had never heard them sing together before. But now she seemed like she’d sung this with them a hundred times before.
“How do you know this song?” I asked her. But Lila didn’t look at me. I guessed she was focusing on the song, so I didn’t ask again. I just listened (feeling slightly awkward as I was the only one who didn’t know the song) until they finished singing.
Then Lucia turned to Rune: “Jack,” she said, “pray, fetch another bottle of whisky, will you”? She had a gruffness to her voice I hadn’t heard before.
Rune replied, “Thou hast legs, as I do, Arthur. Why not fetch it thyself? He was so direct and playfully confident with his reply. It was so unlike Rune. It was like he was suddenly someone completely different.
Why were they speaking so strangely? And why were they calling each other Jack and Arthur? Was this some sort of game they were playing ? I wondered.
Then Lila spoke: “Prithee excuse me, I have an urgent need to make water. I shall fetch a bottle for you upon my return.”
Lucia smacked her on the shoulder saying, “Ah, good lad!”
I followed Lila out onto the deck. “Lila, what’s going on?” I asked her.
But Lila didn’t answer. “Lila?” I asked again. But it was like she couldn’t hear me at all.
A chill ran through me. I knew in my heart something was dreadfully wrong.
“Lila!?” I grabbed on to her arm, but she didn’t respond at all. She was looking out to the sea. Something had caught her attention. I looked out to try and see what was out there, but all I could see was the dark sea.
Lila turned and ran back to the scientists.
“There is something out yonder!“ Lila told them. “Haste thee, come quickly!”
The scientists all followed Lila out on to the deck. They stood at the railing, all looking out to the sea.
“Dost thou hear?” Lila asked them.
“Aye… the voices,“ Gregory said softly.
“Indeed,” Ivan said. “Tis most melodious to mine ears.”
I joined them at the railing and listened. But all I could hear was the wind and the crashing waves.
“What are you hearing?” I asked. But no one answered me.
“Hello?” I said. “Can you hear me!?”
No one responded.
“CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?!” I shouted.
Again, no one responded. They looked enchanted by the sea.
“They do summon us to approach them,” Meera said.
“Who??” I asked. “Who are you talking about?!”
Lila and the scientists kept their gaze fixed on the sea. They could hear something I couldn’t. They leaned their bodies over the railing to listen more closely.
“Please, be careful!” I said. I tried to pull them off the railing, but no one moved.
“We shall not transgress their bidding,” Rune whispered to himself.
Everything about what was happening made my blood run cold. I didn’t know what to do.
So I ran to get the Captain.
I knocked loudly on Captain Gilday’s door. She came out immediately. I brought her to the deck.
But when we got there, everyone was gone.
We searched the entire ship. But Lila, Gregory, Meera, Rune, Lucia, and Ivan were gone.
Though there was an extensive sea search done, no bodies were ever recovered.
Captain Gilday blamed the shipwreck whisky.
And so do I.
The whisky recovered from the shipwreck is going to auction soon. So I’m telling you now, as clearly and seriously as I can:
Don’t drink the shipwreck whisky.