text: [Themes: Historical, ocean]
  
  > Go downward
  You laugh as he finishes his request. "You are a prisoner like any other, your rank notwithstanding."
  
  He looks frankly shocked. "But. . . but we are both gentlemen. . .
  Our militaries have always accepted the parole of opposing officers!"
  
  "Jones!" you call to your master's mate. "Take this Gaul below and lock him in the hold with the rest of the enemy."
  
  "Aye aye, sir!" responds Jones, with more than a little vicious enthusiasm.
  
  Jones smiles as he returns to the deck. "The Gaulish officer is in the hold, sir. It's nice to know that after all the suffering they put us through--and the deaths of good men like Davies--that they'll get a taste of suffering on the way back to Albion. It can't be too nice being cooped up in that hold without any daylight. I reckon it will take us a week or two to make it back to Albion."
  
  >Next
  
  > go
  A few days later, one of you crew passes the word that Lieutenant Villeneuve has a question for you.
  
  "Sir," he inquires, "may we have access to some additional medical supplies? A member of our crew has suffered a compound fracture; without further attention, he may die."
  
  A: Provide medical supplies.
  B: Deny medical supplies.
  
  > go
  On the sixth day, one of your men calls down to the deck. "Sail to lee!"
  
  "What sort of ship is it?" you call back, as you search with your spyglass.
  
  After a minute, the sailor calls back, "She looks to be a Gaulish sloop-of-war, sir."
  
  A sloop-of-war. . . That presents you with a difficult choice. A sloop carries no more than 20 guns, and often fewer. What's more, a sloop's guns will be of lighter weight than those of a frigate. If you had a full crew, you could easily capture her. But with only a prize crew at your disposal, the sloop would have a much greater rate of fire and substantially larger number of men.
  
  How do you want to handle this?
  
  A: Engage the enemy sloop directly.
  B: Attempt to capture the enemy sloop through a clever ambush.
  C: Avoid the enemy sloop--it's not worth risking the more valuable prize in a battle that would likely go badly.
  
  > Stats
  Name: Mr. Edward Rockersuke
  Rank: Acting lieutenant
  Seniority: 0 years
  Age: 19
  Sailing: 27%
  Gunnery: 66%
  Leadership: 63%
  Fighting: 70%
  Patronage: 82%
  Tact: 83%
  Likeability: 81%
  Honor: 47%
  Courage: 50%
  Bloodthirst: 43%
  Intelligence: 28%
  Wealth: 60%
  
  >OK
  
  > go
  As the cloud of smoke from your broadside clears, you can see that the Gaulish sloop is damaged, but not badly. The sloop answers your broadside with one of its own--its guns are light, but splinters still kill three of your men. The enemy captain seems to have understood the situation and maneuvers to board your prize ship.
  
  Now for the moment of truth: Do you rally your crew for a desperate melee, hoping to somehow prevail despite being badly outnumbered, do you strike your colors and surrender, or do you try to flee despite having brought your ship deep within the enemy's range?
  
  A: We will never surrender while we still live!
  B: We did our best, but now we have no choice but to surrender.
  C: Escape is our only hope! Make all sail!
  
  > go
  You spend the next several years in a Gaulish prison. You are not mistreated, precisely, but it's still a terrible experience. Finally, after years of waiting, you and your men are exchanged for some Gaulish prisoners.
  
  You finally return to H.M.S. Courageous, only to discover that the Captain has removed your status as an acting-lieutenant for failing to deliver the prize safely home. You resume service as a midshipman.
  
  >Next Chapter
  
  > go
  You return to your duties as a midshipman on H.M.S. Courageous. The days pass much as before. You study under the ship's master, you run errands for the officers, and you command your small section of men in routine tasks. As a year passes, you have the opportunity to practice various skills that you expect to be tested on in the lieutenant examination. Which of your skills do you devote the most effort to training?
  
  A: Sailing.
  B: Gunnery.
  C: Fighting with sword and pistol.
  D: Leading the men of the ship.
  E: Currying favor with my superiors.
  
  > go
  "Ten minutes before eight bells, sir," the quartermaster reports. A steady breeze pulls your ship inevitably west, bound for Kingsport.
  
  "Very good," you say. "Pipe the watch below."
  
  The first lieutenant, Mr. Pigot, arrives promptly to relieve you of your dog watch.
  
  "I relieve you, Mr. Rockersuke."
  
  "Aye aye, sir. I stand relieved. Good night, sir."
  
  "Good night, Mr. Rockersuke."
  
  Not long after, you find yourself lying in your cot, drifting off to sleep. Soon, you begin to dream.
  
  >Next
  
  > go
  You find yourself sitting for your lieutenant's examination. Three gigantic captains are looking down at you with terrible grins, larger than life.
  
  "Good day, Mr. Rockersuke. My first question to you is as follows.
  You are in temporary command of a 36-gun ship, returning to Albion with maximum haste. The wind is with you, and you are at full sail. The barometer reports a sudden drop in pressure. What do you do next?"
  
  A: I don't know the answer! I'm going to fail the exam!
  B: Stammer and stall for time.
  C: Make something up.
  D: Admit that I don't know.
  
  > B.
  The captains laugh cruelly. "Failing the exam already, Rockersuke? Any officer would know that a sudden drop in pressure indicates the arrival of a major storm! By the time you'd reef the sails, you'd probably lose a mast!"
  
  "Here is your next question," the second captain says.
  
  "You are in temporary command of a 36-gun ship, returning to Albion with maximum haste. The wind is with you, and you are at full sail. The barometer reports a sudden drop in pressure. What do you do next?"
  
  A: Didn't you just ask me this question?
  B: A strong wind is coming. Let out more sail to pick up speed.
  C: Cut holes in the sail to maintain speed through the weather.
  D: We're about to be calmed. Prepare oars for rowing.
  E: Oh no! All of these answers are incorrect!
  
  > go
  Drowsily, you can hear Pigot call the watch; it's midnight. The ship is heaving erratically. As you yawn deeply, your ears pop. The pressure has changed.
  
  A: Fall back asleep.
  B: Send word above deck.
  C: Go above deck.
  
  > B.
  Pigot laughs. "You came all the way up here to tell me that?"
  
  "I've already got the men furling the sail! What do you take me for?"
  
  Just at that moment, Captain Kent appears from his cabin. "Captain on deck!" yells Pigot.
  
  Just then, Jones falls from the riggings of the mizzen mast. Another sailor reaches out to catch him; the wind shrieks and the ship groans and leans precipitously. You hear a pop as someone's arm dislocates. Before anyone can say a word, both sailors have fallen to the deck, one of them killed instantly on impact.
  
  The Captain takes over from here.
  
  >Next Chapter
  
  > go
  After breakfast, all the officers of the ship gather together in the Captain's cabin.
  
  Pigot takes a moment to turn to you and hiss, "What were you trying to do last night--make it seem to everyone that I don't know my job? You'll pay for your insolence."
  
  You have no opportunity to defend yourself before the Captain calls for everyone's attention.
  
  "My question for you, Mr. Pigot," the Captain says, "is: why were there still men on the riggings when the storm arrived?"
  
  "I could see from on deck that Master's Mate Jones hadn't reefed the sail correctly," replies Pigot, "so I ordered the men to return aloft to secure it properly."
  
  The Captain counters, "Jones says that you gave the order to reef the sail too late, and that he and Wilson were already under heavy weather."
  
  "With all due respect, sir, Jones is an insubordinate and unskilled master's mate. I'm not surprised he has invented an excuse. I gave the order when it was needed."
  
  A: Support Jones.
  B: Support Pigot.
  C: Stay out of it.
  
  > go
  As soon as he's able to walk, Jones is laid out for twenty lashes. Pigot has the bosun beat him as hard as he can; he's immediately returned to the surgeon's care.
  
  Later that night, a midshipman wakes you from very deep sleep.
  
  "Mr. Pigot's compliments, sir, and he's passing the word for you."
  
  Because he is senior to you, you have no choice but to report when he sends for you. You stagger out of bed, quickly pull on your uniform, and make your way to the deck, where Mr. Pigot awaits you with a nasty smile.
  
  "Mr. Rockersuke, did the weather change at all during your watch?"
  
  "Yes, sir," you reply, as clearly as you are able, "the wind changed twice during the evening. At the end of my watch the wind was favorable."
  
  "Very well. You are dismissed."
  
  What an odd question. Couldn't he have gathered this information from the log?
  
  >Next
  
  > go
  You find that you're a bit tired the following day. You find it difficult to avoid yawning disrespectfully, but you're in the Royal Navy; you can manage it.
  
  >Next
  
  > go
  But two days later, Pigot wakes you up again, in the middle of your sleep cycle.
  
  "How many times did you throw the chip log to measure speed?" he asks.
  
  "Uh, three times, sir," you slur.
  
  "Come again, Mr. Rockersuke?"
  
  "Sir, I said three times."
  
  "I see. Mr. Rockersuke, in my opinion, you appear to be inebriated with rum."
  
  "Sir, no sir." It's almost three bells; you're exhausted, but you're not drunk.
  
  "Well, I'll see to it that this won't happen again. You're not to have another drop of rum until my order, is that clear?"
  
  "Aye aye, sir."
  
  "You are dismissed, Mr. Rockersuke."
  
  Pigot wakes you again three days later, to ask whether the Captain gave you any standing orders that he should be aware of as the next watchstanding officer.
  
  And again two days after that.
  
  >Next
  
  > go
  Mr. Pigot wakes you at least once every two or three days for the next three weeks; sometimes he takes the opportunity to lecture for an hour on the importance of respect and good discipline on a ship. He's doing everything in his authority to make your life hell.
  
  The following evening, you catch yourself nearly falling asleep on duty--an offense punishable by death.
  
  A: Try to apologize to Pigot.
  B: Ask Mr. Bryce what to do about this.
  C: Complain directly to the Captain.
  D: Tough it out.