The storm was raging, and the waves were crashing against the ship. The crew of the Abacus, a notorious pirate vessel, had been sailing for days in search of treasure, but they had encountered a fierce enemy: nature.
"Captain, we're heading straight for a maelstrom!" shouted the first officer, a young buccaneer by the name of Tuc. He was holding the wheel, trying to steer the ship away from the swirling vortex of water.
"Damn it, Tuc, I can see that!" snapped the captain, a grizzled man named Jack. He was holding a telescope, scanning the horizon for any sign of land or escape. "We have to get out of here, or we'll be sucked into Davy Jones' locker!"
The rest of the crew were panicking, running around the deck, securing the sails, firing the cannons, or praying to their gods. They were mostly men, except for four women who had joined the pirate life dressed up like male pirates for various reasons. There was Abigail, an Irish farm girl who had fled from the countryside to the docks to start a new life abroad; Chelsea, an English noblewoman who had eloped with a pirate and had her heart broken at the docks; Carmen, a Jamaican smuggler who had a knack for finding hidden goods; and , Izzadora, a Spanish adventurer who had a thirst for the open seas and whose father was also a former pirate.
The four women were loyal to the crew and the first officer, and they followed their orders without question. They originally wore disguises to get on to the ship. They helped the other pirates as much as they could as they made their way from the kitchen to the main deck, but they knew that their chances of survival were slim.
Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the air, and the ship shook violently. A bolt of lightning had struck the mast, setting it on fire. The flames spread quickly, igniting the sails and the ropes.
"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" the captain yelled, grabbing a sword and a pistol. "Everyone, get to the lifeboats!"
The crew scrambled to the side of the ship, where a few wooden boats were waiting. They jumped into the water, hoping to reach the boats before they were swallowed by the maelstrom.
But it was too late. The maelstrom was too powerful, and it pulled the ship and the pirates into its depths. The water was dark and cold, and the pressure was crushing. The pirates screamed and gasped for air, but they soon lost consciousness.
The first officer, and the four lady pirates were among the last ones to go under. They clung to each other, hoping for a miracle. But none came.
Or so they thought.
As they were sinking deeper and deeper, they felt a strange sensation. The water around them changed color, from blue to green to purple to pink. They saw flashes of light and heard strange noises. They felt like they were being stretched and twisted, as if they were passing through a tunnel.
They were passing through a wormhole.
They didn't know it, but they had traveled through time and space, from the 18th century to the 21st century. They had left their world behind and entered a new one.
A new one that was full of surprises.
They were not alone in the wormhole. They were joined by a musclebound shark, an ancient sea turtle, a senile parrot, a rainbow-colored squid, and finally a beautiful Asian mermaid. These creatures had also been caught in the maelstrom too and had followed the pirates through the wormhole. They were curious and friendly, and they sensed that the pirates needed their help.
The shark used its teeth to cut the ropes that bound the pirates together. The sea turtle used its shell to shield them from the debris. The parrot used its wings to fan them with air. The rainbow squid used its tentacles to tickle them and make them laugh. And finally, the mermaid used her magic to heal their wounds and restore their breath.
The pirates woke up and looked around in wonder. They saw the colorful creatures and felt a bond with them. They thanked them for saving their lives and asked them their names.
The shark said his name was The Grin, and he was the strongest of all the sharks. The sea turtle said her name was Galapagos, and he was the oldest of the remaining ancient sea turtles. The parrot said his name was Greenboard, and he was an old, senile bird who was abandoned by his former pirate captain. The rainbow squid said his name was Sherbert, and his colors were bright as his personality. And the mermaid said her name was Mer-mama, and she was the daughter of the queen of the mermaids off the coast of Japan. She left her mother kingdom because she was not able to produce an heir to the throne.
The pirates introduced themselves and told them their story. They explained that they were pirates, and that they had been sailing for treasure, but they had been caught in a storm and a maelstrom at sea. They said that they didn't know where they were, or when they were.
The creatures looked at each other and nodded. They said that they knew where they were, and when they were. They said that they were in the Pacific Ocean, near the coast of California, in the year 2024. They said that they had been there before, and that they knew the way back to their own time, but the maelstrom bestowed a ghostly curse onto the crew.
They said that they would help the pirates return to their world, but they had to hurry. They said that the wormhole was unstable, and that it would close soon. They said that they had to go back the same way they came, through the maelstrom.
The pirates were shocked and scared. The sea creatures began to talk, and they didn't know if they could trust the crew, or if they could survive the journey. They didn't know if they wanted to go back to their world or stay in this one.
But they didn't have much time to think. The creatures urged them to follow them, and they did. They swam together, as fast as they could, towards the surface.
They reached the surface and saw the sky. It was bright and clear; unlike the dark and stormy sky they had left behind. They saw the sun and felt its warmth. They saw the clouds, and the birds. They saw the land, and the buildings. They saw the people, and the cars. They saw the signs, and the words.
They saw a new world.
A world that was full of wonders.
And dangers.
They heard a loud noise and turned their heads. They saw a helicopter flying above them. They saw a man, holding a camera. They saw a woman, holding a microphone. They saw a logo on the side of the helicopter.
It said local news channel 42:
They realized that they had been spotted.
They realized that they were on the news.
They realized that they were in trouble.
They looked at each other, and at the creatures. They knew what they had to do. The pirates and sea monsters quickly boarded the ancient pirate vessel and vanished right before the cameraman's eyes as some mysterious force began to cloak them from everyone's plain view.
They had to go back to their time.
They had to go back to their world.
They had to go back to the past.
They had to go back through the maelstrom.
They dove into the water and followed the creatures. They hoped that they would make it.
They hoped that they would see their world again.
They hoped that they would see their treasure again.
They hoped that they would see their adventure again.
They hoped that they would see their story.
