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May-21-2008 09:24

ALL ABOARD THE SLEUTHETANIA!!!

We’re all excited about the newest addition to Sleuth! In anticipation of the upcoming launch of the USS Sleuthetania, we hereby challenge all sleuths to a launch party contest to celebrate her inauguration.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to finish the story of launch night. We’re giving you a scenario below, and we’d like you to respond in character. Tell us what you see, hear, do, and experience, from the time you arrive at the dock, view the Sleuthetania christening ceremony, through walking down the gangplank, up until the ship sails out to sea. The more imaginative and creative, the better!

-The Rules-

*One entry per person, please.

*Spelling and grammar DO count, so please use the appropriate tools, and edit, edit, edit.

*For those who think this is a ‘role-playing’ contest, we’re looking for what your character specifically does. Whether you choose to interact with other players is completely up to you. You MAY choose to keep your entry entirely to yourself (ie-without contact with others), and still have a very interesting story to read. Get innovative! You CAN do this!!

*There’s a 6000 character maximum limit. That means 3 boxes. We recommend you use a word editing program and copy-and-paste your final entry into sleuth. This avoids problems such as others posting in between your boxes, timing-out, etc.

*ALL entries are due NO LATER than turnover, Monday, June 2 (11:59:59pm). No exceptions.

*NOTE: Because we have no way of knowing exactly when Admin’s launch will happen, we’ve used some creative libel here. Whatever Ben’s come up with will be wonderful, of course. But we’d like you to stick with our version for this contest, please.

*I'm not the only judge, but my decision is final. In case of disputes, talk to the hand. ;)

-The Prizes-

1st prize Sleuth $150,000
2nd prize Sleuth $75,000
3rd prize Sleuth $40,000.
--------------------------

Ok, here we go! The scene is set...

May-21-2008 09:24

1935, early May. New York Harbor.

The late afternoon sun shone down on New York Harbor, as a lone seagull soared on the gentle breeze coming from the west. It looked down on the harbor as it flew, the sun warm on its wings, a hint of salt in the air.

The buildings surrounding the harbor were dingy and gray, standing against weather and time. The water was calm, low waves gently sweeping against the wharf. Out to sea, a pod of dolphins played and jumped out of the ocean mischievously, and a whale swam peacefully nearby.

Onshore, men bustled around the port like ants - noisy, determined, frenetic. The wharf was crowded with ships. Stevedores and longshoremen busily unloaded crates and cargo from ships, cleaned others, and loaded still more. Other sailors were disembarking and looking for the nearest watering hole.

At the far side of the harbor, one large ship stood apart from the others. The area in front of it had been hastily cleared and gentrified for the posh boarders who now milled around waiting to board. Streamers and balloons fluttered gently in the breeze. The ship blew a horn loudly, blaring an earsplitting roar. The whale thumped its fluke against the water, spraying water. Overhead, the gull cried out, shying away. Nature called.

On board, Captain Theodore Aarveld strode through the opulent ballroom on the way to his new quarters. She was a mammoth, some 800 feet long, and nearly 90 feet high. He'd been told during the winter that he'd be captaining a new ship - "a new age in luxury travel" - which could only mean passengers with more money than sense. The passenger areas of the ship reflected that - grand, posh, but impractical for a long voyage at sea. At least most of the working areas of the ship were up to scratch - most importantly the wheelhouse was laid out to his liking. The engine room was hot and dirty, but then all engine rooms were; the kitchen, on the other hand, had obviously been designed by someone who'd never had to work in one.

May-21-2008 09:24

Satisfied with his room, the captain walked out onto the lower deck. He felt nervous, as he usually did before he set sail. Something would go wrong tonight, something always did. The dock below was crowded and bustling; the noise floated up to him. The area immediately in front of the Sleuthetania was filling up with land-lubbers. As he surveyed the scene he wondered about his passengers. The passenger list read like a who's who of New York and other major cities in the world, all eager to be on board the USS Sleuthetania for her maiden voyage. He saw the sparkle of jewels in the bright sunlight, fur coats, and expensive jackets. Yes, he thought, much more money than sense.

Then he spotted his First Officer Marcus Brant at the edge of the crowd, doing his best to mingle with the guests. Just as Marcus looked up, Theodore heard a the tell-tale "splat" next to his right ear. Marcus grinned and made as if to brush something off his shoulder. Theodore scowled and inwardly cursed all seagulls everywhere as he turned and stomped back to his new quarters to change his jacket.

Marcus turned back to the crowd. The sun was setting and it was getting a bit chilly, but the christening ceremony was underway and the first passengers of the Sleuthetania didn't really care. The First Officer let his mind wander as the speeches were made. He too wondered about these passengers - what would they think of the ship? Would they get along with one another?

Marcus came out of his reverie as the bottle smashed and a big cheer went up. He joined in the polite applause and saw the captain back on deck again. The crowd moved toward the gangway, their excitement palpable. Boarding had begun, and the new USS Sleuthetania would soon be off on her maiden voyage.

May-22-2008 08:42

My "friends" bought me a ticket for a cruise on The Sleuthetania as a surprise for my birthday. They tied a black bandana over my eyes to enhance the experience and my anticipation.

Unable to see a thing I walk tentatively down to the end of the gangplank

SPLASH!!!

May-24-2008 10:32

Good entry! Love to see more sleuthers...so get your writing skills out and polished :D

Remember, you have until Monday June, 2nd 11:59 server time.

May-26-2008 16:36

I packed my things hurriedly and rushed down to New York's harbor. I planned to be on the new, grand called the U.S.S Sleuthetania. Oh how wonderful it will be!

When I got there, I stared in aw. The sunset splashed a beautiful light onto the sea, which reflected off of the crashing waves in a beautiful way. The captain of the Sleuthetania stood confidently on the ships deck. The shore was like a welcoming, inviting you onto the ship. It seemed to pull you away into the sea.

I myself boarded the Sleuthetania with many other excited guests. I pulled my luggage through the very nice decorated hallway, noticing that everybody was having a good time. Old women knitted, while their spouses played chess. Younger couples chatted, gambled, or kept to themselves.

When I saw my room, I knew that this cruise was going to be a lot better then I thought. The style was fun and inviting, while formal and sophisticated. I noticed that it was very clean. Even though the ship was new, it was well taken care of.

My bed was a nice size, with pretty sheets and pillows. The bathroom was luxurious, towels folded neatly, the tub spic and span, everything organized. Not something your everyday detective experiences.

After giving myself a small tour to know where I go to do this or that, I sat back and relaxed in the parlor. I kept to myself, observing the wonderful architectural artwork. Crown molding, a grand built-in bookcase, and a wonderful grand piano. Everything seemed to be perfect. I knew that this cruise was going to be great.

May-29-2008 00:28

Thanks for the great entries so far! Keep 'em coming! Only 5 days left...

May-31-2008 09:27

Aknas was almost late for the trip. She had barely arrived in NY with only a suitcase and a cage for her parrot. She was hoping the captain would allow her to bring her parrot along. The parrot was her spy. And he would definitely be useful here. For Aknas was sure there would be a crime happening.

At last, she boarded the ship. Apparently, parrots were allowed.

Aknas was in awe by its grandeur. No wonder the ticket was expensive! It was not easy to acquire it. She had to do an almost impossible case for the captain before she got the ticket!

While in the lobby of the ship, she saw familiar faces - friends and acquaintances... and even some pirates lurking around! She gently nudged her parrot, a trick that means its time for him to do some spying.

Aknas was excited. She was looking forward to this 3 days trip. As soon as the ship would depart, she was sure there would be a crime to solve and perhaps a treasure to recover.

Jun-1-2008 20:13

This entry is created by both lil and myself, hope you all enjoy:


It was a warm spring afternoon in New York Harbor. There was a sense of excitement in the air. The decks were as crowded as kernels on a cob of corn for the big event of the day. The long awaited maiden voyage of the USS Sleuthetania was near.

A Horch 851 Pullman Limousine pulled up to the docks. This was not an uncommon sight for such a prestigious event. Barnabas Gravelle, the indentured agency clerk for Dawg Pound Investigations, opened the rear door and out stepped the directors of the almost famous agency, Ctown and Lil. First, Ctown came out and turned about to help Lil out of the limo. Ctown and Lil stepped away from the door so that Barnabas could shut it. They all stood next to it and gazed at the ship. Breathtaking as it was, Barnabas began to move the limo away, as Lil took Ctown’s arm and together, they headed toward USS Sleuthetania.

Ctown heard Lil gasp as they neared the dock. They were looking upon at least three decks that were visible. Who knew what they saw below deck, not yet boarding the ship. They approached the ship in unison step. Ctown conversed with the male holding the passenger list. “Ctown and Lil,” he told the person. “Ctown and Lil,” the other man repeated as he looked for those names. The man found the names and said, “Welcome Aboard, Ctown and Lil. I am First Officer, Marcus Brant. Ctown you are in stateroom 125, Lil you are in 126, first class Deck B. If you ever need anything else, I’ll be somewhere aboard the ship.” “Why, thank you, Marcus,” Ctown said as he slipped Marcus a crisp $100 bill. Lil chimed, “So kind of you, sir.”

Jun-1-2008 20:13

As they made their way up the boarding plank they were greeted again, this time by Junior Petty Officer, Victor Lancaster. “Greetings and welcome to the USS Sleuthetania please accept this bottle of champagne and christen the bow on your way aboard,” he said to the two. Ctown peeled off another $100 bill and handed it to Victor. “Thank you, my good man,” Ctown said while handing the bottle to Lil. As they made their way to the bow, Lil shook the champagne furiously; she wanted to make a lasting impression. Once they got to the bow, Ctown took a step back and watched as Lil wound up and smashed the bottle against the bow, the crowd cheered as the champagne splashed everywhere, a lot of it covering Ctown’s jacket.

They were on the lowest level deck and stepped out of the path, as they took in their surroundings. To the left of them, other passengers were getting onboard the ship… beyond that; they saw several yards of deck. To the right, they saw more deck another several yards or so. In front of them, was an entrance, through those doors Ctown and Lil went. They had to find Deck B. They looked at their surroundings and found the stairs. They saw the grand voyeur off to their right as they turned left to go up the stairs. They reached Deck B. They saw rooms up and down the hall to their left and right. They were looking for numbers 125 and 126. They had finally reached the rooms.

Ctown went into room number 125 and Lil had gone into the room next to him. They both found that they had another door. For Ctown, it was to the right of him after he had entered, and for Lil it was to the left of her after she had entered. They tried it, and figured out that they had adjoining rooms.

Jun-1-2008 20:14

The two detectives set down their bags, there would be plenty of time for unpacking later, for now they wanted to get back to the upper deck for the farewells to all the people that would be staying ashore. Making their way back up they were in complete awe of the craftsmanship of the luxury liner. This was a first cruise for each of them. They passed the poker room and Ctown's eyes lit up, he couldn't wait to get into a good game of Texas Hold 'Em, but none of that would start until the ship was out to sea. Next it was the spa, which certainly caught Lil’s attention, being able to take a break from catching criminals and just relax is exactly what she needed.

Finally once back to the upper deck they were greeted by none other the captain of the ship, Theodore Aarveld.

"Ctown and Lil, so very nice to meet you, I've heard many good things about you and it makes me comfortable knowing the two of you will be aboard should we have any trouble," the captain told them.

"Well Captain, we are here for a vacation, we hope no trouble arises but you can be sure to count on us if needed, I like to consider DPI on call 24/7," Lil told him.

They made it to the railing of the ship as she was about to set sail, the celebration was grand, confetti and streamers flying, people waving their farewells, the whole 9 yards. As the ship made her way out of the harbor Ctown looked out and saluted Lady Liberty as if bidding her farewell, he knew he would be back someday.

Just then out of the corner of their eyes, Ctown spotted the notorious Tatiana "Monkey Face" Frost while Lil eyed Olaf "Whirling Dervish" Dimitrijevic. Two villains they thought they had put behind bars for good. Neither of them wanted to upset the other so they excuse themselves from each other and went to investigate what these dastardly villains were doing aboard the boat for her maiden voyage.

This looked like it was going to be an interesting journey...