#offshores

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Abarth Offshore, 2024. Italian specialist boatbuilder Car Off Shore are working with Stellatis to offer a jet boat styled about a  Fiat 500 Abarth. It is powered by a 230hp inboard hydro jet engine. No pricing has been announced though Stellantis says Car Off Shore will build 500 of the 2-person jet boats

[jacquelying]

snowing hard this morning. the terror ice master failed to predict the ice shifting the ship to the opposite angle. Only thing he said was “we slidin” i cant stop thinking about this

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The unexpected upside of global monopoly capitalism

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TODAY (Apr 10) at UCLA, then Chicago (Apr 17), Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

Here's a silver lining to global monopoly capitalism: it means we're all fighting the same enemy, who is using the same tactics everywhere. The same coordination tools that allow corporations to extend their tendrils to every corner of the Earth allows regulators and labor organizers to coordinate their resistance.

That's a lesson Mercedes is learning. In 2023, Germany's Supply Chain Act went into effect, which bans large corporations with a German presence from using child labor, violating health and safety standards, and (critically) interfering with union organizers:

https://www.bafa.de/EN/Supply_Chain_Act/Overview/overview_node.html

Across the ocean, in the USA, Mercedes has a preference for building its cars in the American South, the so-called "right to work" states where US labor law is routinely flouted and unions are thin on the ground. As The American Prospect's Harold Meyerson writes, the only non-union Mercedes factories in the world are in the US:

https://prospect.org/labor/2024-04-08-american-workers-german-law-uaw-unions/

But American workers – especially southern workers – are on an organizing tear, unionizing their workplaces at a rate not seen in generations. Their unprecedented success is down to their commitment, solidarity and shrewd tactics – all buoyed by a refreshingly pro-worker NLRB, who have workers' backs in ways also not seen since the Carter administration:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/14/prop-22-never-again/#norms-code-laws-markets

Workers at Mercedes' factory in Vance, Alabama are trying to join the UAW, and Mercedes is playing dirty, using the tried-and-true union-busting tactics that have held workplace democracy at bay for decades. The UAW has lodged a complaint with the NLRB, naturally:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/alabama-mercedes-benz

But the UAW has also filed a complaint with BAFA, the German regulator in charge of the Supply Chain Act, seeking penalties against Mercedes-Benz Group AG:

https://uaw.org/uaw-files-charges-in-germany-against-mercedes-benz-companys-anti-union-campaign-against-u-s-autoworkers-violates-new-german-law-on-global-supply-chain-practices/

That's a huge deal, because the German Supply Chain Act goes hard. If Mercedes is convicted of union-busting in Alabama, its German parent-company faces a fine of 2% of its global total revenue, and will no longer be eligible to sell products to the German government. Chomp.

Now, the German Supply Chain Act is new, and this is the first petition filed by a non-German union with BAFA, so it's not a slam dunk. But supermajorities of Mercedes workers at the Alabama factory have signed UAW cards, and the election is going to happen in May or June. And the UAW – under new leadership, thanks to a revolution that overthrew the corrupt old guard – has its sights set on all the auto-makers in the American south.

As Meyerson writes, the south is America's onshore offshore, a regulatory haven where corporations pay minimal or no tax and are free to abuse their workers, pollute, and corrupt local governments with a free hand (no wonder American industry is flocking to these states). Meyerson: "The economic impact of unionizing the South, in other words, could almost be placed in the same category as reshoring work that had gone to China."

The German Supply Chain Act was passed with the help of Germany's powerful labor unions, in an act of solidarity with workers employed by German companies all over the world. This is that unexpected benefit to globalism: the fact that Mercedes has extrusions into both the American and German political spheres means that both American and German workers can collaborate to bring it to heel.

The same is true for antitrust regulators. The multinational corporations that are in regulators' crosshairs in the US, the EU, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea and beyond use the same playbook in every country. That's doubly true of Big Tech companies, who literally run the same code – embodying the same illegal practices – on servers in every country.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has led the pack on convening summits where antitrust enforcers from all over the world gather to compare notes and collaborate on enforcement strategies:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cma-data-technology-and-analytics-conference-2022-registration-308678625077

And the CMA's Digital Markets Unit – which boasts the the largest tech staff of any competition regulator in the world – produces detailed market studies that turn out to be roadmaps for other territories' enforces to follow – like this mobile market study:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

Which was extensively referenced in the EU during the planning of the Digital Markets Act, and in the US Congress for similar legislation:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2710

It also helped enforcers in Japan:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-to-crack-down-on-Apple-and-Google-app-store-monopolies

And South Korea:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-considers-505-mln-fine-against-google-apple-over-app-market-practices-2023-10-06/

Just as Mercedes workers in Germany and the USA share a common enemy, allowing for coordinated action that takes advantage of vulnerable flanks wherever they are found, anti-monopoly enforcers are sharing notes, evidence, and tactics to strike at multinationals that are bigger than most countries – but not when those countries combine.

This is an unexpected upside to global monopolies: when we all share a common enemy, we've got endless opportunities for coordinated offenses and devastating pincer maneuvers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/10/an-injury-to-one/#is-an-injury-to-all

[koshigurajumy]

Jumy-M A small offshore island / 沖合の小島

[incorrect-hs-quotes]

ROSE, trying to comfort JOHN while he’s upset: Don’t worry, John. I was just at Mad At You Island and none of your friends were there!

JOHN, even more upset: why were you at mad at me island?

ROSE: Uh…

DAVE: meanwhile i was just at wanting to fuck you island and there were no bitches

JOHN: …

JOHN, smirking: why were you at wanting to fuck me island?

[supplyside]

offshore

[glitchphotography]

“Laundry Hole”  The Offshore Firm, Volume II (2022)    

//   Retrodystopic hyper-corporate spaces created with “Life Stage: Virtual House” (1993) for 3DO and composited with video art elements  

[savagechickens]

Hiding.

And more Easter comics.

[dyedviolet]

So imagine you're Ishmael except you're sneaking aboard an unmanned vessel, and then when you're well out to sea the boat starts talking to you and basically says "hey I'm god and I could smite you on a whim." You're understandably scared so you just start reading one of the many novels you packed for the journey, but the the boat that is god starts reading over your shoulder and almost using your brain as a filter to understand human emotion. Boat-god has blorbos now, you're besties, and then you go on to the next leg of the journey and don't see boat-god again for a while. When you do, boat-god has been almost killed to death by the fish people from Portsmoth or wherever Lovecraft said they're from, so you kill the fish people and save boat-god. Boat-god's crew is here this time and when you're done tying up loose ends, and help arrives, you find out that the organization that made boat-god has been shoving a lot of god into a lot of boats and your boat-god might actually be one of the slightly less powerful ones.

That's what Murderbot's friendship with ART has been like

[feniverse-unfiltered]

My brain woke up today and decided to choose violence

[zardinthebrokenatlas]

I love it when things start to progress :3

[bunjywunjy]

bunjy, why won't the colossal squids come up and say hi :( are they like blobfish where they explode if they move into shallow water?

even if one did come to the surface, it's very unlikely a human would see it for one simple reason:

colossal squids are region-locked. they're only found in antarctic and sub-antarctic waters, which are pretty famous for their lack of human habitation.

which is a damn shame, but really, can you blame them?

[linkzac]

his name is offshore oil rig

[coochiequeens]

But the TQ+ cult continues to deny that children are transed

Dr Helen Webberley said that her licence had been revoked on a technicality

ADRIAN SHERRATT FOR THE TIMES

James Beal, Social Affairs Editor Friday July 19 2024

The General Medical Council has revoked the licence to practise of a controversial British doctor whose offshore clinic treats transgender children.

Dr Helen Webberley, 55, will lose her licence in Britain from Friday but will remain on the GMC’s register, following the decision by the medical regulator.

The decision was made by the GMC after she did not comply with a registered doctor’s legal obligation to revalidate their licence every five years.

Webberley runs GenderGP, an online company registered in Singapore, which facilitates access to puberty blockers and hormones for adults and children.

She told The Times that the decision would not prevent her from continuing in her role at GenderGP and said that she did not personally treat the patients.

Michael Webberley was struck off in 2022 for prescribing hormones to patients as young as nine without proper assessments

Webberley said: “I fought incredibly hard to keep my licence, both for myself and also for the community, because it’s important to set precedent. Now to have it taken away on a technicality, if you like, is very heartbreaking, but I will continue my work as I have done.”

GenderGP assesses adults and children with gender dysphoria and connects them to doctors outside Britain, in the European Economic Area (EEA), for prescriptions for hormones.

This means UK children as young as eight can access puberty blockers, despite the Cass Report, a review of trans healthcare led by the paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, concluding there was no good evidence for prescribing them.

Webberley was suspended from practising medicine in 2022 after she was found to have committed serious misconduct by a Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel over her treatment of three trans children. She successfully appealed against the decision at the High Court in 2023.

Dr Hilary Cass’s review found there was no good evidence to support the global clinical practice of prescribing hormones to under-18s to pause puberty

TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE

Webberley said that she had not used her licence to practise since 2017, when investigations into her conduct by the GMC began. She said that she could not revalidate her licence because she could not find a “responsible officer”, or suitable person, to vouch for her fitness to practise.

Doctors are required to notify the GMC of a designated body and responsible officer to do this.

Webberley said: “The difficulty is … I no longer have a connection with an NHS trust or a GP surgery. I don’t have a responsible officer. It’s also very difficult to get that connection after what I’ve been through.”

She says she was offered the chance to take an exam in order to revalidate her licence, but declined because they “don’t have one for doctors working in transgender medicine”.

Michael and Helen Webberley are now thought to be living in Spain while their business is registered in Singapore

The GMC then withdrew her licence, which it can do if it determines that guidance to revalidate has not been complied with “without reasonable excuse”.

Webberley, from south Wales, said that she would carry on her work at GenderGP.

She said: “I’m not allowed to directly treat and manage individual patients [but] I’m not treating them.

“Treatment means sitting down with somebody, making a diagnosis, making a treatment management plan, prescribing medication, following up investigations and results.

“With GenderGP we have a whole team of professionals who do that. I don’t treat patients individually. They [the GMC] don’t have a regulatory role in my wider work.”

A GMC spokesman said: “Every licensed doctor must take part in the revalidation process, which provides assurance that they are keeping their knowledge up to date, are fit to practise and that no concerns have been raised about them.

“Doctors who do not have a connection to a designated body or suitable person are able to revalidate in a number of ways, including by passing a written multiple choice test called a revalidation assessment.

“There are 12 assessments to choose from, and doctors are encouraged to choose one closest to their most recent area of specialty. We cannot tailor assessments to every doctor’s specific area of practice.

“If doctors do not comply with our guidance on revalidation without reasonable excuse, we may withdraw their licence to practise.”

Webberley and her husband Michael, who set up GenderGP in 2015, are now believed to live in Spain.

As an online business based abroad it is not registered with the Care Quality Commission, but Helen Webberley has denied basing it in Asia to avoid scrutiny.

Michael Webberley, 67, a former gastroenterologist, was struck off in 2022 for prescribing hormones to patients as young as nine without proper assessments.

GenderGP was also criticised in the High Court earlier this year for giving “dangerously high” levels of hormones to a 16-year-old, who was born female but identified as male, that could have resulted in sudden death.

Webberley has called the court claim “untrue”. The Times reported last month that GenderGP, which has more than 10,000 patients, had ditched health advisers in favour of an AI algorithm providing “self-service” treatment.

Behind the story

The health secretary Wes Streeting has indicated that he will seek to make permanent the temporary three-month ban on puberty blockers being supplied to children (James Beal writes).

But Helen Webberley said children at her clinic were still getting hold of them.

Laws to ban the drugs being supplied by private or offshore clinics were passed by Victoria Atkins, Streeting’s predecessor, in emergency legislation before the general election.

They are due to expire on September 3, but the Labour government suggested last week that it would, subject to court proceedings, renew the ban with a view to making it permanent.

It followed the Cass Report, which found there was no good evidence to support the global clinical practice of prescribing hormones to under-18s to pause puberty or transition.

However, Webberley, in an interview with The Times last month, said patients at her offshore clinic were going abroad, using foreign doctors and chemists, to side-step the ban.

She said: “The parents of young people who are affected by this ban will find another way. The last thing is that they will allow their child to stop the puberty blocker and start going through puberty. That’s going to really really affect them mentally and physically.

“I know mums and dads who are just going on holiday to get their puberty blocker instead. They’re going to wherever they’re going on holiday this year.”

Distancing GenderGP, her clinic, from their actions, she said: “We don’t have to find those opportunities, the parents find those ways of managing it.”

Now the revelation that she has lost her GMC licence to practise may increase concerns about her clinic, which operates out of reach of regulators such as the Care Quality Commission.

It follows disclosures that GenderGP had created an AI algorithm to make treatment recommendations rather than using health advisers.

However, given the state of transgender healthcare in the UK, with long waiting lists for treatment, it may not deter transgender patients from turning to GenderGP.

[princehendir]

The opinions on r/steamdeck about playing offline are very evenly split between "it's completely fucking useless offline total pain in the ass not worth it at all sometimes the damn thing won't even turn on" and "yeah i work on an Alaskan fishing vessel 9 months out of the year and I love fallout new vegas. Never had a problem 👍" So bit of a mixed message. To put it lightly.

[chasingmidnights]

An Offshore Love - Part One

Title: Offshore 

Pairing: roughneck!ari levinson x reader 

Summary: You arrive at the Jupiter and you can already tell this crew is in rough shape just by looking at them. You just hope they take you seriously enough. 

A/N: This is kind of a slow burn and this first part is more focused on the reader, but if you bear with it, Ari pops up in the second part! 

Warnings: All of my work is 18+, minors DNI, even if there aren't many warnings to look out for. In this first part, some warnings may include some self-doubt; mentions of the ocean & motion sickness/sea sickness; and I believe that’s it. I apologize if I missed anything but you are responsible for what you read and your own internet consumption. By clicking keep reading, you agree to these warnings and that you are over 18. I do not claim to be a professional writer, any and all mistakes are my own; nothing is beta read. 

Wordcount: 2,998

You sat in the plush leather chair of the conference room, you were in your fourth meeting of the day and you had started to feel antsy. You were bouncing your pen between your thumb and forefinger as you stared out the large windows of the skyscraper of Baizen Oil Industries. A small sigh left your lips as you thought how you would much rather be on an assignment instead of being in meetings all of the time. You absolutely hated the agonizing day-to-day of office work. It was so mind numbingly dull and you didn’t have the patience for that type of work. At least when you were sent to one of the offshore oil rigs or even one of the land based ones, it provided a little more challenging work, or depending on the day, a little excitement. 

“Before we conclude this meeting, I’m going to hand it over to Carter Baizen himself.” Your supervisor’s words barely registered in your ears as you continued to play with your pen. If it wasn’t for your coworker’s jab to your arm with their elbow, you would’ve continued to look out the window. 

You instantly sat up and refocused your attention back to the meeting at hand, just as Carter walked into the conference room. You watched as Carter buttoned up his suit jacket as he took your supervisor’s place. Carter cleared his throat before he started to speak. 

“Good day everyone, I’ll try to be as quick as I can so you can get back to work. But I came here before you today because one of our offshore oil rigs is in trouble, the Jupiter.” Carter paused for a moment as he clicked on a remote towards the center of the table and a blue holographic image of the mentioned oil rig appeared before everyone. “The Jupiter is one of the company’s most prosperous rigs, bringing in the most oil in the last five years but she also seems to be our most problematic rig. From crew members getting injured to machinery malfunctions, it seems she’s been through it all.” 

This was it, your next big challenge. You immediately started to get excited at the thought of helping another oil rig out, especially since your last one was a success. At least, you thought it was. If Carter didn’t already have a team in place, you would definitely be volunteering before the meeting was over or at least by the end of the day. 

“So, the plan is to send in a small team, no more than two, to get this place whipped back into shape. If this doesn’t happen, I’m afraid that we’ll end up either selling the Jupiter or shutting her down. This is completely voluntary, but if no one volunteers, I’m not afraid to pick and choose who goes.” Carter then looked around at the filled conference table, immediately noticing the nervous looks on the majority of the faces. 

Here was your chance. “I’ll go.” You spoke up confidently, you were beyond certain you could handle this job. 

Carter nodded at you in appreciation and you could see the look on your supervisor’s face, rolling his eyes and clearly not surprised. He knew how much you hated being in one place for too long and the fact that you had only been back barely two weeks and ready to leave, didn’t surprise him. 

“Another volunteer?” Carter asked, giving everyone another chance before he picked someone. 

You didn’t blame your coworkers for not wanting to volunteer, Being on an offshore oil rig was dangerous and getting there even more so. Not to mention that the Jupiter was located in the middle of the North Sea, one of the most treacherous seas in the world. As you waited for another coworker to volunteer, you thought back to your first time on one of the company’s offshore oil rigs. You were assigned to be a part of a team to collect data and to check the quality of life of the workers who were on board, along with several other assignments. Needless to say, you hadn’t quite gotten your sea legs yet and you spent the majority of your first week on the rig with sea sickness. After that though, you became a natural and developed your own system on how to get these rigs, along with the crew, back into shape. 

“Um, I’ll go.” One of your coworkers stammered as he raised his hand slightly. 

You internally groaned when you saw who it was, an IT guy who’s barely been with the company for five years. By the looks of him, he didn’t seem like much and he seemed much better suited for land. He’s probably never been on a boat before either; with his dainty frame, those waves would take him out in a heartbeat. But of course, you didn’t say any of that and just offered him a forced smile. 

“Excellent, you two come to my office before you leave today and I’ll give you more information on this assignment. Meeting adjourned.” Carter then left the conference room, followed by your supervisor. 

Shortly after that, everyone started to collect their things and went back to work. While you collected your things, the other volunteer nervously approached you. 

“Hi, I’m Jake.” He introduced himself as he stuck out his hand, when he realized you weren’t going to shake it, he pulled it back and scratched the back of his head. 

“I know, you’re the IT guy around here.” You replied as you continued to collect your things. You took a moment before you turned to face him and introduced yourself properly. 

Jake nodded as he spoke. “I look forward to working with you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” 

You let out a small huff. “I hope you don’t believe everything you hear.” You then started towards the door of the conference room. 

Jake followed after you. “O-of course not. How many oil rigs have you been on?” 

“Land, six; off shore, the Jupiter would make it four. Let’s get one thing clear,” You stopped and turned to face Jake, who instantly became worried. “I’m in charge here. I’ve done this countless times and I know what I’m doing.” 

Jake pushed his round framed glasses up the bridge of his nose before he nodded. “Got it.” 

“Oh, also, don’t let the roughnecks give you too much of a hard time.” You teased playfully. 

“Roughnecks?” Jake asked as he arched a brow. 

“Yeah, the crew on a rig. They do the day-to-day work to make sure the rig works properly.” You let out a small sigh, realizing how much of a rookie Jake really was, this was going to be an interesting assignment. “I’ll put together a 101 pamphlet with terms and what to expect before the day is over.”

“Hey, thanks, I’d appreciate that!” Jake beamed as continued to follow you. 

By Sunday, you were locking up your apartment and making your way to the airport. Your luggage rolled behind you as you went down to the waiting company car. You greeted the driver with a tired smile as he took your luggage and placed it in the trunk and you opened the passenger door, you took a sip of your coffee from your tumbler. However, you nearly spat it out when you saw an excited Jake in the backseat of the car. You had somehow forgotten that the two of you were riding to the airport together. 

“Good morning, sunshine! I wasn’t sure if you’d have coffee already or not, so I had the driver stop so I could pick up some breakfast.” Jake greeted, too chipper for your taste this early in the morning. 

“I’m hearing this,” You made a motion with your hand to mock someone talking. “And I want to hear this.” You made your hand stop moving to signal silence. 

Jake chuckled at your response. “Not a morning person, eh?” 

You simply glared over at Jake. 

“Alright, alright, I get it sunshine.” Jake said and he acted as if he was sealing his lips and then locked them. 

When you landed in Germany and finally got to the port, you took in a deep breath of the ocean air causing a smile to curl up on your lips. You glanced over at Jake and immediately noticed how pale he looked. It reminded you of yourself when you went on your first offshore business trip. You looked back out to the ocean, the waves were relatively calm near the port but you knew the further out you went, that would change in a heartbeat. 

“Baizen Oil Industries?” A dock worker asked as he jogged up to you and Jake, his voice slightly raised. 

“Yes, that’s us.” You said as you turned to the man. 

“The shuttle to take you to the Jupiter is ready for you, if you follow me.” The dock worker gestured. 

“Of course.” You said and you motioned to Jake to follow. 

When you got to the boat, the dock worker was claiming to be your shuttle, you were in awe. The boat was more like a massive barge ship and you were in awe of the size of it. 

“This is a shuttle?!” Jake exclaimed, stopping to look up at the ship before he stepped onto the boarding ramp. 

“Welcome to the Orion.” The dock worker announced, his voice somehow deeper than before as he welcomed you to the barge ship. 

Jake then bent over and started to throw up causing the dock worker to shake his head and chuckle. You couldn’t help but do the same before you stepped onto the boarding ramp. 

“Come on Jake, we don’t want to be late.” You said, adjusting your bag on your shoulder. 

You watched the waves crash against the ship, a sense of calm washing over you, compared to your counterpart anyway. Jake hadn’t stopped throwing up and currently had his head in a bucket. As you glanced back at him, you were grateful that at least one of you had your sea legs. 

“Why is it always carrots? I haven’t even had carrots.” Jake mumbled before he threw up again. 

You laughed quietly to yourself before you turned your attention back to the ocean, watching the waves from one of the cabin rooms. You swore that each wave that formed was bigger than the last one. Each wave crashed into the barge ship as if it was nothing, causing the ship to rock and tilt to its side. The waves were thick and packed quite the punch, you couldn’t help but wonder how these men came out onto this sea every day. There were several times where you thought the waves were going to knock the ship over and capsize. However, the Orion prevailed and continued to make its way through the North Sea to get to the oil rig.

When you finally reached the Jupiter, your eyes nearly bugged out at the sheer size of the oil rig. Sure, you had been to multiple offshore sites but this one had to be the biggest one yet. The platform stood on top of a single, concrete let that was giant in itself and at least several hundred feet above the sea; yet the waves were still grazing the bottom of the platform. Your eyes wandered all over, trying to figure out what sight to take in first. The platform was just as impressive as the concrete leg it stood on, built from a mixture of solid concrete and heavy duty, industrialized iron, it was truly a sight to see. You were always in awe of these oil rigs that you visited. As you continued to stare up at the structure, your nerves started to kick in and you suddenly felt uneasy. However, you kept it together, you’d be damned if you gave these men any inclination that they could roll right over you. You were pulled out of your thoughts when the Captain ushered you and Jake down to the deck of the ship. There, you spotted a few workers trying to direct a metal cage that was being lowered onto the deck of the barge ship by a crane. 

“What the hell is that?!” Jake exclaimed as he adjusted his glasses. 

“That son, is your way up to the Jupiter.” The Captain of the Orion said, clapping Jake on the shoulder. 

The door of the metal cage opened and out stepped a heavyset, older brunette and you could feel him instantly judging you and Jake. You knew exactly what he was doing, he was trying to see if you were going to be a pushover or not, but he’d be in for a rude awakening. You held your head high as you walked towards the man, sticking out your hand as soon as you were close enough and introduced yourself to him. He eyed you up and down, one more time before he spoke, shaking your hand in return. 

“Lee Bodecker, ma’am, I’m the rig manager here. Welcome to the Jupiter.” Lee introduced himself as he sucked on his teeth. 

“Pleasure. This is my assistant, Jake Jensen.” You greeted politely and with a tight lipped smile. 

“What’s up?” Jake greeted with a nod as hugged his belongings to his chest. 

You internally groaned as Jake greeted the rig manager the way that he did. 

Thankfully, Lee just chuckled as he turned his attention towards Jake. “What’s the matter son? Don’t got yer sea legs yet?” 

“Afraid not, first time out on an oil rig, let alone the ocean.” Jake admitted, it was evident that Jake had been suffering from some sea sickness. From the lack of color in his face to the sweat dripping from his brow from constantly throwing up. 

“I can tell. Well, let’s stop dilly dallying and get to work. After you!” Lee then stepped to the side to allow you and Jake into the metal cage. 

With a jolt, the cage started to lift and just in time as a wave crashed onto the deck of the Orion. A cold breeze enveloped you as the wind picked up slightly, causing the cage to sway as well. When you got to one of the landings of the platform of the Jupiter, Lee opened the cage door and allowed you and Jake to exit first. As Lee led the two of you through the oil rig, you could feel everyone’s eyes on you and Jake as you passed by. You could feel your stomach begin to lurch but you kept holding your head high. As you looked around, to try and familiarize yourself a little bit, you could tell that these men looked a little more on the rough side than most crew that you’ve been around. You only hoped that you could help them as much as possible and get their quality of life back to where it should be while living on an oil rig. 

“I’ve set up a couple of meetings for the two of you tomorrow morning. You’ll meet the rest of the crew and management then.” Lee called back to you. “Tonight, the two of you focus on settling in your new quarters. I hope you don’t mind bunk beds.” 

“Sounds good, thank you, Mr. Bodecker.” You called back to him, having to shout over the noises of the oil rig. 

“Please, it’s Lee.” Lee insisted as he glanced back at you and Jake.

Lee held open a door and it was almost instantly warmer and brighter in this part of the oil rig. You also noticed that there was a lot more life in this part as well. 

“This is the Hub, the life of the Jupiter. Here, you’ll find entertainment rooms, the cafeteria and a few other eateries, laundry, the sleeping quarters and there’s even a gym if you’re into that sort of thing. There are also a few offices and conference rooms located in this part of the oil rig. There is internet but it can be a bit spotty sometimes.” Lee informed as he strutted through the building, pointing out different amenities. 

The three of you reached the third floor and Lee showed you to your new quarters for the next couple of weeks. You peered into the room once Lee had opened it and expected Lee to show another room for Jake. However, when he didn’t, you spoke up. 

“Are we sharing a room?” 

“What? I don’t have a problem with that. I’ll even take the top bunk.” Jake offered as he walked into the room and took a look around. “Pretty spacious here actually.” 

“Good man, Jake. Sorry, miss, but we’re full to the brim here. I actually had to kick out the two who were staying in here just to make room for you lot. They were not happy.” Lee explained, his southern drawl making its presence. 

“Right, well then, thank you Lee, I appreciate your hospitality.” You gave him a small, tight-lipped smile, the last thing you expected was having to share a room with someone. 

Lee simply nodded. “Dinner is whenever you feel like eating, so if you want food, you can come down. Otherwise, your first meeting is tomorrow at  seven in the morning and I’ll have someone come get you.” 

“Sounds good. I think I’m in for the rest of the night, so, I’ll see you tomorrow at seven.” You said, wanting to get some work done tonight and put some finishing touches on a few things. 

Lee didn’t say anything, he simply turned on his heel and walked away. You then stepped into the room and noticed Jake already setting up shop. A small smirk curved up slightly onto your lips as you did the same thing. You couldn’t lie, a part of you was extremely nervous about the next day and yet, you were also looking forward to the next few weeks while aboard the Jupiter.