This story was originally started by my alter-ego and mentor, Littlebrain. For personal reasons he has stopped writing and offered me this incomplete story that was originally entitled 'The Admirable Crichton' to finish. I have decided to do it in 3 (longish) parts so this is not a quick stroke story (so go elsewhere if you want one of those as there are a lot of them about). This is a plot-heavy and dialogue-heavy story with lots of character development so for those of you who like a good yarn ... I hope you enjoy.
As always please let me know by voting and comments (constructive, please) what you think.
L
Prologue
"This is breaking news on WNN .... We are getting reports that Nadia Sherematova and her two children have been found safe and well on an island in the South Pacific, 7 months after their luxury catamaran,
Singular
, was reported missing. Let's go over to our reporter, Michelle Lai, in Fiji for an update. Michelle, what can you tell us?"
"Thanks, Rick. We have received a report that the actress and model, Nadia Sherematova, and her two adopted children, Chloe and Lance, together with two other, so far unidentified, members of the crew were spotted on an island between Samoa and Fiji by a passing yacht who made contact and raised the alarm once they discovered who they were. The high-tech catamaran,
Singular
, disappeared without trace 7 months ago on a voyage from Samoa to Tahiti with 7 people on board, Ms. Sherematova and her two children and a crew of 4 under skipper, Bill Crichton.
"The
Singular
'
s
GPS transponder and other automatic satellite communication devices lost contact 24 hours into the 1300 mile journey during a cyclone and a massive search and rescue operation was mounted despite there being no distress call. Some debris that could possibly have come from
Singular
was found but it would now appear that the search was in the wrong place as the survivors were found over 500 miles away from the last known position, in the opposite direction.
"Russian born, Ms Sherematova, one of the most famous models and actresses on the planet and considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, had taken the voyage to de-stress and avoid media intrusion after commencing divorce proceedings against her husband, the British billionaire media mogul, Carson Trip. The divorce was publicly acrimonious and Ms Sherematova had alleged rape, cruelty and unreasonable behaviour. Mr. Trip counter-sued with accusations of infidelity citing a hitherto unseen internet sex video which some experts believe to have been digitally altered. Mr. Trip, who stands to lose a significant portion of his fortune in the settlement, has subsequently got the divorce proceedings halted on the basis that his wife was dead. It is likely that they will be back on soon!
"Local maritime authorities are in the process of picking up the survivors and we will know more of what happened once this has been completed. However, the amount of interest and intrigue surrounding the divorce, the disappearance and subsequent reappearance is only going to get stronger.
"Rick, back to you in the studio."
Chapter 1
7 months earlier.
The luxury 80ft catamaran eased gently away from the pontoon with the jet thrusters making light work of the wind trying to blow it back against the harbour wall. What a wonderful thing technology was, mused Bill Crichton, skipper of the
Singular,
one of the most advanced sailing vessels in the world. Although, thought Crichton, as he edged the massive twin hulled boat out into the channel, with the pace of development for the America's Cup boats it was almost like F1 car racing and this boat would be seen as archaic in a few years, maybe even months.
Singular
was one of only a few boats in the world using rigid airfoils instead of soft sails giving it high performance and the ability to set and manage the trim of the boat by computer from the cockpit. Despite the complexity it was very easy to sail but the few skippers around the world with experience of these boats were not going to admit to that as they didn't want the mystique to be blown away. Especially not Bill Crichton, a functioning alcoholic!
Drinking and sailing could be a recipe for disaster and his recent career was littered with near misses and bent boats and he had even once run aground on an ebbing tide. The latter was a definite no-no and a public humiliation as he was out there for several hours for the entire world to see as he waited for the tide to return. He was fortunate to have this gig and he knew it but did wonder how it had happened so quickly. His normal jobs were much more prosaic as he was a 'skipper for hire' ferrying boats from one port to another and given his reputation, the quality of boat was normally significantly lower than
Singular
. Fortunately for him he was the only skipper with airfoil experience within 2 hours flying time of Samoa, when the regular skipper was mugged and beaten up very badly just when the owner's wife wanted to use the boat.
He had been briefly introduced to his passengers as they had come aboard in the late afternoon amid a flurry of paparazzi. They were currently below in their cabins whilst they left port not wishing to give the photographers any more opportunity. A small motor vessel containing some photographers was shadowing them all the way out to sea but would soon turn back as the light was fading and the Pacific swells would discourage those with a delicate constitution.
Crichton's thoughts were interrupted by a nudge to his arm and a quiet voice.
"Dad, here's your tea."
He turned to look at his step-daughter, Tanya, tall, beautiful and lithe, dressed in cut off shorts and a bikini top as she held out the battered mug. He looked enquiringly at her as he took it.
"No, there's nothing in it. You promised you wouldn't!"
"Yes, I did sweetheart. I don't want to fuck this gig up do I? This could be the kick start my career needs. But it won't be easy to ....."
His voice tailed away as he thought of the ramifications of staying sober for the two weeks allotted to the voyage. His daughter squeezed his arm.
"I'll help, Dad, but I'll try not to nag. I know how hard it has been for you since Mum died but you won't find her in the bottom of a bottle. .... Oh god, I said I wouldn't nag and I've started already!"
Crichton's downward spiral had started when his wife, Madeline, had been killed in a car crash 5 years previously, ironically the fault of a drunk driver, when Crichton was away skippering a yacht in a round-the-world race. He had contemplated giving up the sea and becoming a full-time dad but Tanya had insisted he continue to do what he loved. Fortunately, the insurance payout was enough to pay for Tanya to attend an exclusive boarding school at home in the UK so Crichton continued to ply his trade around the world's oceans. She would join him for most of the school holidays and had become a proficient sailor herself as she helped crew whichever boat he was on at the time. She noticed the progressive change in her step-father each time she met him as he slipped further into the comfort of alcohol. He was still a good looking man with a towering physical presence at well over 6 foot and 220lbs of muscle with skin burnished by the sun and wind and his part-Caribbean ancestry. Physically he appeared to be doing OK but she knew that he was depressed and some of his mental faculties were being eroded by drink.
Tanya, looked around at the boat and silently prayed that he didn't fuck it up as he hadn't done so badly for a lad from a London council estate who left school at 16 with very little in the way of qualifications. She would help him all she could whilst she was with him but would be heading back to the UK to start university in 8 weeks so what happened after that was up to him.
Crichton looked at Tanya and tried, unsuccessfully, not to stare at her body, the delightful swell of her breasts contained in the string bikini and the curve of her arse in the tight cut-offs. He couldn't get over how much she had changed physically since he had seen her 6 months ago at Christmas. She had filled out in all the right places and was now a truly stunning girl with dark, almond shaped eyes and a café-au-lait complexion.
Tanya felt him gazing at her and noticed that he was checking her out like most men would, not in a fatherly way at all! Her nipples involuntarily hardened at the thought of her dad finding her attractive.
"Dad, you're staring and there's a course change coming up!"
Her voice interrupted his reverie and he looked guiltily away.
"Sorry, you should put your uniform polo shirt on, you're a distraction like that."
Crichton wondered why he'd said it. It was true but he shouldn't be perving on his own daughter! Tanya laughed at him.
"I'm your step-daughter you lecherous git, not some back alley hooker you go to when I'm back in the UK!"
He looked at her, startled, and began to protest.
"I have been with no-one since your mother died let alone a hooker. Anyway, you are my daughter that gives me some right to appreciate how you've grown up into a beautiful woman. Now put your shirt on as we don't want Ms. Sherematova to feel like second best!"
"As if!"
Tanya laughed but was secretly pleased that he had said it. She also wondered why her nipples had hardened as he had looked at her that way and said she was a distraction. However, if it brought him out of his depression she would have to flash him more often. She decided to move the conversation back to the passengers.