Blue route

Captain Andrei Petrovich Khromov stood on the deck of his old sailboat, smiling at the horizon disappearing into the misty haze. He loved these endless journeys that seemed the same, but always gave something new. But today, this time, everything was different. This voyage, like all the previous ones, began in Helsinki, but something in the captain’s heart told him that he would not return home the same person.

Anxious experiences

The ship stopped in the port of Helsinki, and soon the entire crew went on an excursion to the Lenin Museum in Tampere. It would seem that this is not the best place for sailors, but the captain was always interested in the history and culture of the countries he visited. This time, standing in front of the statue in the museum, Khromov felt how the old captain who did not ask himself about the meaning of his travels gradually disappeared. He almost did not notice how he missed the turn of the game, absorbed in his thoughts.

When the ship arrived in Iceland, the weather took a turn for the worse. A lightning storm attacked the vessel, and instead of enjoying a new adventure, Khromov faced the horror of an unsuccessful narwhal hunt. The boat crashed into ice floes, and the captain was forced to turn back to Reykjavik. On the island, in the port, Khromov stared at the dark sky for a long time, trying to understand what was happening to him. Why did he no longer enjoy these endless trips along the same route? Why did he feel that all this would soon become something alien to him?

In Greenland, the captain plunged into his work again, studying the coast and the waters. The silent icy coast of Greenland, the cold north wind, the old maps and the endless sea… It was all familiar, habitual, and at the same time lifeless. Khromov missed a turn, absorbed in research. But his heart could not forget that he was tired of these repeating cycles. He aspired to something more. He wanted something new, but how to understand this without looking at the world as a whole?

A fateful decision

Mists and icy icebergs surrounded the ship, and the captain returned to St. John’s again. The desire for something more than simple exploration of the vast expanses of water became more and more obvious. He reflected that, for all the beauty of the worlds he had discovered, his soul was tired. He decided that he must choose a different path, but when, if not now? But how would he look in this new world, when he left the old sailing ship? This day was special because, standing at the helm, Khromov realized: he was ready to move on.

The sailors studied the magnetic deviation of the compass as they traveled to the magnetic pole, and Khromov could not help but notice a strange pattern that permeated his entire journey. They were all moving somewhere, but always returning to where they started. It was a kind of trap. And he finally decided that enough was enough. He could no longer follow the same routes, pass the same places – the old world had to be left behind.

The ship picked up speed again, racing through the storm, toward Vancouver. Khromov glanced at the map again, and his heart sank. All of this was in the past, along with all the old routes. Remembering how he had saved a sick radio operator a few weeks earlier, the captain felt the desire for change wash over him again. He could no longer be the one who always stood still. But what exactly should he do? Where could he find the answers to his questions?

Burning desire

Urgent passage to San Francisco, aggravation of the situation, bad weather. The captain ordered to set a course towards the request for conducting underwater current research, but his thoughts were somewhere far away. He increasingly asked himself: what next? The answer was in his heart:

You are ready to be a captain who will take people around the world. And this trip is your last on the old sailboat.

Havana. Warm climate, simple enjoyment of the sea and the open horizon. Here, on the shores of Cuba, Khromov felt his soul filled with peace. He decided:

That’s it! I’ll become the captain of a big liner, I’ll carry people, show them the world that only I’ve seen before. I’ll open up new horizons for them.

It was a big moment for him, the realization that his path would now be different, that the world was bigger than just traveling around America.

A whirlwind of events, a hurricane, and an unexpected drift into the Sargasso Sea. But even amidst the raging waters, the captain felt he was ready. He knew he didn’t want to sail the same waters anymore. He wanted new horizons. He wanted to see the world.

The final decision

Finally, London. Greenwich Observatory. After all these endless journeys, Khromov came to the conclusion that he now wants a new beginning. He is ready for a new, big journey. He realized that the stars on his path not only show the direction, but also tell him that his place is where he can become a captain for others, show them the worlds that he himself will discover.

Captain Andrey Petrovich Khromov stood on the deck, looking back on his past life. He had hundreds of journeys and dozens of discoveries behind him. But a new fire was already burning in his heart. He was ready. It was time to move on. The moment had come when this sailboat became the last vessel he would travel on. Ahead of him was a huge liner for round-the-world trips!

Buy the game “Across the Seas and Oceans”, go through the blue route and experience the story of Captain Khromov – his transformation, his desire for a big world and his determination to go to the future!