by Lee West
“Have you guys been able to reach anyone at home? Our devices are dead and won’t charge,” said Brett.
“No, ours are dead too. Even though we live so close and aren’t worried about flights either, it’s still frustrating,” said Meg.
“I agree. The captain is floating us around in slow circles out here without telling us what’s actually happening. We figure either he knows something and won’t tell the passengers, or he really has nothing to share. It’s maddening,” said Brett.
“How do you know he’s making circles? Felt to me like we were moving in a certain direction,” asked Meg.
“Oh, we’re moving alright, in a circle. We haven’t left the area all day. Clearly we’re not heading into port anytime soon,” said Nancy with an edge in her tone.
“How do you know?” asked Joe.
“What do you mean?” asked Brett.
“Well, how can you tell we’re going in circles? I watched the sun all day and didn’t come to that conclusion,” continued Joe.
“Navigation using the sun is very tricky and requires training and a lot of experience. Once the sun goes down, the sky becomes a virtual roadmap for anyone who can read that sort of thing. We’ve been watching the sky, hoping to see a change in direction, but nothing is happening,” said Brett.
“Did you guys get to watch the meteorite shower?” asked Nancy.
“Some of it, we were on deck until just around midnight. Did you enjoy it?” asked Meg.
Brett and Nancy shifted uncomfortably in their chairs and looked at each other. Joe could tell they were sharing a glance that showed they were measuring what to say.
“What is it? What did you see?” asked Joe, leaning into them.
It occurred to Joe that Brett and Nancy could confirm Mike’s suspicions that an EMP had caused the damage. The two stargazers would have seen the entire event if it had actually occurred.
Brett leaned into the table. He glanced over his shoulder as if making sure no other passengers were listening, then spoke in a quiet voice. “We were watching the tail end of the light spectacle when all of a sudden a large orange orb lit up the sky. It was unlike anything we’d ever seen. It was definitely not anything we were expecting to see during the shower.”
“I think an EMP was detonated over the southern U.S. It’s the only thing that could possibly explain what we saw, the fact that none of our electrical devices work, and that the ship is now inexplicably floating around without coming to port. Something big has happened, and being on this ship is putting all of us in danger,” said Nancy in a tense, conspiratorial tone.
“Holy crap, that’s what the crew is saying too!” said Meg, a little breathless.
“Meg!” said Joe, giving her a stern look.
“Oh, come on. You can’t clamp up on us. If you know something, then you need to spill the beans. We’re all in this thing together, literally in the same boat. We shared what we saw and about our location, come on,” pleaded Nancy.
“Our friend Mike, a bartender, said that the electrical on the ship is fried and that the captain will start rationing food. He also said the ship has lost communication with the shore and coasties,” said Joe.
“Shit. It’s just like I said. Damn it. I knew we were screwed as soon as we saw the orange light. Now how do we get off the ship and back home?” said Nancy as she turned to Brett.
“Some of the crew are talking about stealing a lifeboat and getting to shore before the captain leaves the area,” said Meg.
“Geez! Meg, really, you had to mention that too?” said Joe as he ran a nervous hand through his hair.
“I applaud your loyalty to your friend, but this is life and death. We simply can’t stay on the ship. Sooner rather than later, the air will have to be turned off as well as the toilets. Not to mention the food will be rationed. It’s only a matter of time before the thin veneer of civility wears off and this ship is a chaotic survivalist hell,” said Nancy.
“It’s already started. I’ll bet that’s why all those people are now on our floor,” said Brett, a look of realization passing over him.
“You got it. My friend said they were moved to consolidate the passengers in order to conserve generator fuel,” said Joe.
“This isn’t good. We need to get on that lifeboat before the ship leaves the area,” said Nancy.
“But what if you’re wrong? Am I the only one concerned about stealing a lifeboat and fleeing? I really don’t want to be arrested,” said Meg.
“You aren’t the only one concerned about the legality of such a bold move, far from it. However, we can’t allow the captain to decide our fate. We’re far better off getting off the ship and to land. Far better. We have no idea when the ship will pull into a safe port. There could be major issues all along the coast. With a finite amount of resources, the people on board will not be able to survive,” said Nancy.
“I get that, but what if you’re wrong about the EMP? Maybe this is just some freak issue with the ship. It’s not like cruise ships haven’t had issues in the past. Maybe something major broke down and the other stuff is just coincidences. It could explain the situation,” said Meg with palpable tension in her voice.
“There’s no mistake, Meg. Something detonated high in the atmosphere and caused our current situation; Nancy is correct. Sorry, Nancy, but I should’ve mentioned this earlier,” said Brett, turning to his wife.
“Mention what? What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Years ago, I saw this video called Starfish Prime. One of the guys in our club sent me the link. Anyway, the video is live footage of a high altitude nuclear bomb that was set off years ago. What I saw, what we saw, was exactly like what occurred in that video. I’d bet my life on it.”
“And you didn’t think to say anything sooner? You just let me guess and wonder if I’d gone full conspiracy-mode crazy!” said Nancy angrily.
“I didn’t want to upset you and still don’t. I figured we’d make it back to shore and deal with whatever the situation is back home. I really didn’t account for us being trapped on this dreaded death boat and contemplating an escape. If we’re trying to decide whether stealing a lifeboat is a good idea, hands down, I’d say yes. It’s the right decision given our situation.”
Brett touched Nancy’s shoulder with tenderness and concern. Somehow, his touch seemed to calm her as a wave of forgiveness settled over her face. The couple joined hands and turned back to Joe and Meg.
“But why go to shore? If things are really bad at home, why not stay on the ship and find a spot where nothing has changed? Maybe we’d be better off staying put?” persisted Meg.
Joe always admired Meg’s ability to flush out every side of a decision before jumping in with her full support. Meg’s careful, measured approach to making decisions allowed her to fully commit without reservations to a chosen course of action. In turn, it also gave Joe confidence once a decision was made that it was the correct one.
“Given the size of the detonation we saw compared to the one in the video, I’d say there’s an extremely high probability that the entire U.S. and many of the islands are dark. It is very probable that we could seek shelter but never find a viable port option. In which case, we would run out of food and starve on this ship. Imagine the irony of starving on a cruise ship?” said Brett, shaking his head.
“Besides, we can’t just stay on board and allow the captain to make decisions about our safety and well-being. Who knows what he’s doing? He certainly hasn’t shared enough information to give me any confidence in his decision-making. I say we get out while the getting is good,” said Nancy with determination.
“Do you think your friend would allow us to join the lifeboat?” asked Brett.
“I’m really not sure but will ask him tonight.”
“You might want to mention that we can navigate using the stars. I’m assuming any GPS system on the boat will be fried. Our skills could make the difference between getting home or running out of fuel going in
the wrong direction, out to sea, and not even realizing it.”
Joe turned to Meg for her thoughts on the situation. She was the final decision maker for them. He knew if Meg didn’t want to take their chances getting on the lifeboat, he would never go either. “What do you think?”
“I’m in. No way am I floating around on this boat once the food and alcohol run out. Everything seems fine now, but you’ll see the place will get ugly really fast if people are hungry,” said Meg.
“Okay, I’ll talk to Mike and get a plan together.”
“When is he planning to head out?” asked Brett.
“I don’t know. It seemed like Mike and the other crewmembers were still trying to decide if this is the right thing to do. I know they’re all scared and anxious to get off the ship, though. None of us were sure about the cause of the outage. Confirmation that this was a large EMP makes the decision way easier for us and will probably for them too.”
“We’ll keep watching the sky. If the captain starts doing anything other than circling around, we’ll let you know immediately,” said Brett.
“Alright, that sounds like a plan. I assume the lifeboats only have so much fuel. We’d be best off getting out long before the ship moves farther away from the coast,” said Joe.
After the plan was settled, Joe was able to concentrate on eating until he couldn’t eat anymore. He and Meg also planned to take as much food from the table as possible in preparation for what might lie ahead. After dinner, he would catch up with Mike. Hopefully, Mike would see the couple as a valuable asset in the lifeboat and not be too upset at the breach in his promise to keep the plan silent.
— 13 —
Mike steadied himself against the side of the bar as the large vessel rolled to port. The drinks in his hands sloshed over their rims and down the sides of the glasses. Until that moment the ship had been as steady as usual. However, something changed. The ship started rolling with the swells as it had the night of the event. The rolling could mean only one thing: the fin stabilizers were either broken or they’d been turned off to reduce the electrical load on the already challenged system. Neither scenario gave him confidence in the situation on board. Frank was right, they needed to get off the ship sooner rather than later. He needed to focus on making sure his family was safe. Nothing else mattered to him.
“You gonna give us new drinks or what? Those aren’t even full,” complained the waiting passenger.
“Of course, sir, why don’t you enjoy these on the house, and I’ll make you two new drinks when you’re ready for more,” he said.
“Now that’s more like it. Bad enough to be stuck on this ship and miss our flight; don’t make matters worse with half-full drinks,” said the man, clearly unaware of their current predicament.
Mike knew most of the passengers were so absorbed in their own worlds that they couldn’t comprehend the gravity of the situation. Most couldn’t begin to appreciate the danger they were in or that nothing would be changing for them for the conceivable future. He almost felt sorry for them. Almost. Mostly he was glad that the captain had chosen to keep the passengers in the dark about the state of the ship and what might lie ahead. Judging from his interactions with people once the ship did not make port, Mike knew the level of ugliness would increase exponentially if they knew the true situation. It was only a matter of time before the captain would have no choice but to tell everyone the truth. Mike hoped to be long gone before that happened.
As the hours ticked by, the passengers became far less friendly toward him. The other bartenders noticed the shift too. People were becoming openly hostile, and the drinks weren’t helping. Mike resolved to reduce the amount of alcohol in each drink he served. Not enough to be noticeable, but enough to slow down the people who would become angry drunks.
“Hey, Mike!”
Mike finished washing his hands and looked up to see Joe and Meg standing at the bar. Finally, a friendly face, he thought with relief. “Hey there. You want your usual?”
“Sure, that’d be great!” said Meg enthusiastically.
“You two seem chipper, given the situation. You know something I don’t?”
“We sure do. Our dinner table companions are these older professors who came on board to watch the meteorite shower,” started Joe.
“They live and breathe the stars. It’s all they talk about at dinner. It’s been really annoying,” interrupted Meg.
“Totally—as in all they talk about. Brett said they witnessed some sort of nuclear explosion over the U.S., which likely triggered an EMP the night of the meteorite shower. He said the size probably knocked out the U.S. and the islands.”
“They witnessed the entire thing firsthand. They were watching the shower with their high-powered telescopes when the detonation occurred,” said Meg.
Mike put his bar rag down and clenched the counter in front of him. A feeling of nausea flared in his stomach. He wasn’t sure if his stomach was flipping because of the ship’s increased movement or the confirmation of a likely nuclear explosion. Once again his mind raced with catastrophic thoughts of his family. “He knows this for sure?”
“Oh yeah. Apparently, he saw some video about an EMP and said it was exactly the same thing. No doubt,” said Meg.
“You okay, man? You look a little green. We thought you’d be happy to hear this. It sort of makes the decision to leave easier.”
“I’m thinking about my family. I’ve been trying to make myself feel better by pretending their situation isn’t so bad, like maybe everything is fine for them. Now that I know things aren’t fine—it just hit me hard, that’s all.”
“Sorry, man. You must be really worried about them. But at least you’ll be able to get home and take care of them,” said Joe.
“The best part is that Brett and Nancy can navigate using the stars. They said we’ve been floating in a large circle. They also said they’d watch to see if the captain starts to take us farther out to sea,” said Meg.
A glimmer of hope sparked in Mike. “You think they’d want to join us on the lifeboat?”
“Absolutely, they’re dying to get out of here. They think it’s our only chance of survival. They agree that we should not stay on this ship because the supplies will run out, and there is no end in sight to the roaming for a viable port,” said Joe.
“Alright, this changes everything. I’ll talk to Frank and see when he thinks the best time to leave will be. The captain has stepped up security. We aren’t sure if the security is focusing on the lifeboats or the passengers. Either way, we’ll make it off the ship.”
Joe offered him the key to their room so Mike could charge the drinks to their already lengthy tab. Mike waved off the card and said, “It’s on me. At this point, I don’t think the tab matters anymore.”
The boat pulled to starboard, causing the friends to grip the bar for support.
“Not again!” said Meg.
“It’s alright. Just take deep breaths; it’ll pass,” said Joe.
“Take her outside. The air will help. Hey, if you need to find me, my room is on deck five aft, number 547. I’ll be there after midnight!” shouted Mike as the couple quickly left the bar.
“Okay! I’ll let you know if anything changes!” yelled Joe over his shoulder.
Mike returned to thoughts of his family. Sharon and the kids were in trouble, and he’d do everything in his power to get to them. A fierce determination replaced fear. Looking at the clock, he realized he only had another thirty minutes until the end of his shift. Although tempted to leave early, he stayed until the end. Frank thought security would be called on them if they changed anything about their routines. He was probably right. The less attention they attracted, the better.
— 14 —
Frank’s mood lifted considerably after talking with Mike. The confirmation that an EMP had detonated over the U.S. first panicked him but then allowed him to quickly switch into action. He moved through the crew’s area of the ship with purposeful determination
. The persistent and at times violent rocking of the ship bounced him from one side of the vast passageway to the other. Finally the movement became so bad that steadying himself necessitated using the bulkhead handrails as he walked. Soon, the turbulent seas would create a health disaster on board. People would start to get seasick in large numbers, including the crew. Once the crew succumbed to seasickness, the ship would be harder and harder to operate. In heavy seas it would not be unusual for a ship to lose more than half of its crew to seasickness, thereby straining all those who could manage to leave their sleeping racks. In Frank’s estimation this was all the more reason to grab a lifeboat and leave the ship quickly.
After years at sea, Frank never became seasick. His body seemed to adjust quickly to the movements of the ship with effortless ease. For this reason, he knew that he would likely be the only person in the lifeboat who would be able to drive them away from the ship. Although he and Mike had trained extensively in the use of the lifeboats during their orientation on the ship, he knew the real thing would be vastly different from their training. For this reason, he reviewed the lifeboat’s manual and then decided to inspect a lifeboat to be sure their launch would go as smoothly as possible.
Finally arriving on deck eight, where the lifeboats hung, Frank looked up and down the deck before yanking open the heavy glass door leading outside. Security teams had been patrolling the entire ship in relentless overlapping groups of two. Frank worried that they would quickly suspect his motives if he were caught inspecting the lifeboats, but it was a chance he needed to take. The EMP might have affected the engines on the lifeboats, rendering their escape plan a total loss. Making sure they chose a lifeboat that was well maintained and whose engine would roar to life when needed was his sole focus.
Half of the hard-topped lifeboats hung on their cradle arms on the port side of the ship, and the other half hung on the starboard side of the ship. Frank moved away from the glass door toward the aft of the ship. He knew that the back side of the ship was far less traveled than the forward parts, making the aft boats obvious choices. Escaping on an aft lifeboat also made sense because they would be able to slip into the water and move quickly away from the ship without the officers on the bridge seeing their movements. The officers relied on well-placed cameras on the aft side of the ship for their eyes. Another crewmember had confirmed the cameras had been fried during the EMP, essentially leaving the aft portion of the ship dark to the captain and bridge officers.