by Jordan Rivet
Esther made her way through the crowds, keeping her head down. Most people didn’t seem to notice her, transfixed as they were by the floating behemoths. Cally’s mouth hung open.
Esther reached the edge of the lifeboat deck, where Reggie was preparing a winch to lower them to the water.
He shook his head at Esther and then elbowed her in the ribs and grinned. “You’re all right, little mate. You’ll fix it.”
She smiled gratefully at him.
Judith was giving instructions to Manny as she prepared to disembark. “Everyone is to return to the Catalina at night, do you understand? I won’t have people straying too far.” She lowered her voice a notch. “It’s strange that they didn’t even ask what we have to trade.”
Esther, Neal, and two crewmen climbed into the lifeboat after Judith. Neal was pale, sweat forming beneath his mop of hair. Esther clapped him on the shoulder and whispered, “You’ll be fine. She’s going to love you.”
“I kind of expected her to be the one to come out to meet us,” Neal said. “We haven’t been able to talk much since I’ve been on probation.”
As Reggie and Wong lowered the lifeboat, Esther watched her friends’ faces. Cally was pouting, no doubt disappointed that she couldn’t go in the first load, but the ferries were already sailing toward them from the nearest big cruiser. Esther spotted her father standing beside Penelope Newton just as the lifeboat dropped beneath the deck.
It had been a while since Esther had been outside the ship. Their hull was scratched and graying. It looked decidedly battered beside the gleaming white of the nearest Galaxy ship. That one looked like it might have even been repainted, at least above the waterline. Who can spare paint and manpower for that sort of thing?
As the lifeboat dropped into the water, Judith warned them not to say too much about the Catalina’s predicament. “We don’t know if we can trust these people. We will hold our business close, get what we need, and be on our way. You got that, Esther?”
Esther nodded and grabbed an oar to help the crew row them to the yacht while Neal filled Judith in on what he’d learned from Marianna about the Galaxy Flotilla. The founder had been the captain on a Galaxy Cruises ship before the disaster. He’d acted quickly to gather together other ships in the Galaxy Cruises line. They’d drifted together, hoping for aid or direction from the corporate offices onshore. When none arrived, the Galaxy captains agreed to stay together, hoping to find safety in numbers in their new life on the seas. Over time they’d joined with a few rogue cargo ships and offered shelter to smaller vessels.
The lifeboat drew close to the yacht, called the Abby Rae, and someone dropped them a rope ladder. Esther was nearest to it, and Judith motioned impatiently for her to go first. She climbed up the ladder with the tether for their boat and got a closer look at David Elliot Hawthorne, who was still holding the loudspeaker. He was handsome, and younger than she expected, perhaps in his early thirties. His white-blond hair was neatly combed, and he had suspiciously perfect teeth. He wore square glasses with thick black frames. A woman in her late twenties, with dark hair and liquid brown eyes, and an older man with tight lines in his face stood behind him on the deck.
“Welcome aboard the Abby Rae,” the blond man said. “I am David Hawthorne. I will be your guide.”
He strode forward smoothly and stuck out his hand. He stood with his back as straight as a pipe. Esther had never had much reason to shake hands before. She was conscious of the grease underneath her fingernails when she gripped his hand as firmly as she dared.
“Esther,” she said. “I’m the mechanic.” She met his clear green eyes steadily. His eyebrow rose just slightly, and she detected a twitch in his lips.
“I am Judith Stone. I’m in charge of the Catalina.” Judith shouldered in beside Esther and glared at David Hawthorne as she shook his hand.
Neal hovered anxiously behind her, one hand still on the rope ladder as if he might flee at any moment. Judith didn’t introduce him.
“Welcome to the Galaxy Flotilla, Ms. Stone. Our captains would be delighted to entertain you for dinner on the Galaxy Crown this evening, if you will.”
“We are here to discuss trade, Mr. Hawthorne. Esther has an inventory of the parts we want to barter for.”
“It’s mostly replacements for a damaged RO system,” Esther began. “We also need—”
He smiled lightly, ignoring Esther. “There will be plenty of time for that later. In the meantime, we’d like to show you our utmost hospitality. We hope you will be pleased with what you see amongst our ships.”
“Our need for parts is urgent,” Judith said.
“If you must, Ms. Esther can give her list to Eugene here. He represents the trade department.”
The elderly man nodded. The skin on his face pulled a bit tighter.
“Oh, sorry, I, uh, don’t have it written down. Didn’t have any spare paper.” Paper was amongst their more rare commodities. “I have the list in my head.”
“Ah.” David touched the edge of his glasses. “All in good time then. We’ll be sure to get you some paper to use at your convenience. Marianna, please radio the Crown and let the captains know that Ms. Judith Stone will be joining them for dinner.”
Esther sensed Neal going rigid beside her. She stole a glance at him. His face was white and his eyes wide as he stared after the curvaceous, dark-haired woman who had just gone around to the small cabin.
Esther nudged him and whispered, “She’s pretty.”
Judith didn’t look particularly happy about her upcoming social engagement. Esther knew she hated it when anyone else told her where to go, even under the guise of community business. But the yacht was drawing close to the flotilla, and David Hawthorne was too busy acting as a tour guide for her to raise any objections. He reiterated the information Neal had already told them about the cruise line origins of their coalition.
“We were lucky to meet up with a few cargo vessels that needed our protection. We found abundant supplies on board. Most of the Galaxy fleet was already at sea when the disaster hit, so they were well stocked. The passengers aboard still had their luggage. I understand from Marianna that the Catalina escaped from San Diego.”
Judith shot a disapproving look at Neal, who was busy trying to edge around the cabin to get another peek at Marianna.
“That’s correct,” Judith said. “We consider ourselves lucky too.”
“Of course.”
The nearest ship loomed above them, the name Crystal Galaxy emblazoned on the side. Esther estimated it was close to a thousand feet long. She tried to guess at the engine capacity and the number of engineers it must take to maintain everything. And they had more than one ship to worry about!
They sailed around the bow, where a bridge stretched between the Crystal Galaxy and the nearly identical Emerald Galaxy. People in brightly colored clothing stared down at them from the bridge as they sailed underneath it.
Beyond the two barrier ships, a nautical valley opened up, surrounded on all sides by ocean liners. Two massive tankers occupied the center, and smaller boats zipped back and forth between the tankers and the cruise ships ringing the valley. All the cruise ships appeared to be connected by multiple bridges. Platforms floated beside the ships, where people were getting in and out of the small boats. Within the circle of ships, the water was surprisingly calm.
“For the duration of your stay, you are welcome to use the water taxis to travel between the ships,” David said. “And the bridges are open to all.”
“What do you do during storms?” Judith asked. “Don’t they get destroyed?”
“Everything you see is fully retractable. We hoist up the smaller boats and the platforms and store the bridges on deck until the worst is over. Occasionally, people who live on one ship get stuck on another during a storm, but those nights can be exciting.” He winked at Esther. She stared him down. “Anyway, the ships separate during storms so they don’t knock into each other.”
“What do you d
o for water?” Esther asked with a sidelong glance at Judith. But Judith was studying the bridges and didn’t stop her from speaking.
“Each ship has its own desalination system,” David said. “We use the filtration method, as it’s more energy efficient than the evaporation method.”
“Obviously.”
“We also have a central filtration system on one of the cargo ships that supplements all of us and keeps a reserve in case one of the systems goes down.”
“That’s wise,” Esther said, studying the huge tankers floating in the middle of the other ships. Crew members worked pulleys and machinery on the decks, and people dashed back and forth carrying supplies and tools. There were so many of them.
Their boat docked at one of the floating platforms. Marianna came out of the cabin behind them as David gestured grandly toward the side of the yacht. Judith climbed down the ladder first, followed by David.
Esther disembarked next, taking her time stepping over the side of the boat so she could hear Neal croak, “Excuse me, Marianna? I . . . I’m Neal. From radio.”
Esther couldn’t stall long enough to hear Marianna’s response because Eugene was waiting to take the ladder. When she reached the bottom, the platform bobbed under her feet. It took a little more time than necessary for Neal and Marianna to make their way off the yacht. Esther wondered what they were saying to each other.
“This way please.”
David led them to a lightweight, collapsible gangway that carried them up the side of the huge cruise ship.
“This is the Emerald Galaxy. It serves as our welcome vessel. The rest of your companions will be delivered here on the ferries.”
Esther snuck a peek at Neal and Marianna following behind them on the stairs. They were whispering in Spanish.
The gangway led to an entrance lobby that was similar in layout to the Catalina’s, but it was three times the size. A polished wooden reception desk stretched the length of one wall. Working chandeliers hung from the ceiling, filling the space with shifting, glittering light. Soft musical notes drifted toward them, but Esther couldn’t tell where they were coming from. The lobby smelled of wood varnish and lemon.
David stopped at the counter to write their names on a roster. “We want to make sure we don’t lose you. Now, how about a tour?”
Marianna spoke up for the first time. “If you don’t mind, Hawthorne, I’m going to take Neal over to the broadcast center on the Crystal . . . to show him our satellite project.”
Neal stared at her, clearly enraptured by her long, thick hair and honey-colored eyes. She did have a beautiful voice.
“Of course. I will take Judith and Esther on a personal tour of our facility.” David waved her away.
Esther and Judith exchanged glances. Esther actually felt relieved to have company, even if it was Judith. She gave Neal a surreptitious thumbs-up as he shuffled down a long corridor after Marianna.
“The Emerald Galaxy is our most graceful ship,” David said. “The people who live here take extra care in the beautification of the vessel. As you can see, they’ve recently refinished the reception area. Let me show you a few of the restaurants, as they really give you a sense of the style the Emerald residents have cultivated.”
He led the way through the lobby. A grand staircase stretched across one end, reaching up to the vaulted ceilings. Dozens of people milled up and down the stairs. Everyone was so clean and elegant, their clothes a multitude of colors. A few of the women even wore high heels. Esther hadn’t tried on a high-heeled shoe since she and her sister Naomi had clomped around in her mother’s black pumps when they played dress-up as children.
Esther wasn’t accustomed to thinking of people as elegant. That was the word she had been trying to put to David Hawthorne too when he waved his long hands around languorously and expounded on the Emerald’s features. He made Esther feel even shorter than she was.
People turned to look at them as they crossed the large hall and headed for a doorway decorated in painted gold leaf. They appraised Esther and Judith in their durable jeans and sturdy, somber shirts. Judith carried herself with a natural, imperious dignity, but Esther felt like a grubby child tagging along behind her and David. Esther realized the man from the trade department, Eugene, had disappeared. She hadn’t had a chance to ask him about the trading arrangements. It was strange that he hadn’t stayed to hear what they had to offer, especially because he’d bothered to make the trip on the Abby Rae in the first place. He hadn’t said a word.
The name Salmon Lounge appeared on a sign above the entrance to the restaurant. David pushed open gold-leafed doors, and Esther got a whiff of grilling fish—an all-too-familiar smell—but there was something else there, something that jogged a memory.
“What’s that smell?” she whispered to Judith.
Judith rolled her eyes. “Fish.”
“No, the other smell.”
“Do you mean the garlic and butter?” David said over his shoulder.
“Garlic?”
“We’re quite proud of our gardening program. It took us a long time to collect enough soil.”
Esther felt light-headed. It smelled so good. She hadn’t eaten or slept very much in the past few days. She could barely concentrate as David showed them the dark wood paneling and the fanciful sculptures of glass and shells lining the walls of the restaurant.
“We salvage the materials from the sea, but what they’ve done with it is quite lovely.” The tables were covered in white cloths. A trio of young women sat at a table in the corner, lingering over cups of coffee, chatting. One, a sharp-faced blond wearing a violently purple tunic and matching scarf over her hair, narrowed her eyes at Hawthorne. She slipped a worn notebook off the table and into her lap.
“How do you allocate duties so that people have time for this?” Judith asked. She pinched her lips and studied a sea-glass sculpture of a bearded man with a polished steel trident. Judith was suspicious of anything that didn’t directly contribute to sustenance and survival. She barely tolerated Bernadette’s projects.
“People choose to do what they wish,” David answered. “Naturally, some people are suited to survival-type jobs, but others find their calling elsewhere, such as the arts. Each ship has developed its own identity, if you will. If anyone wishes to move to a new quadrant because they believe they’ll fit in better, they have the option to do so with the approval of their captain and the captain of the ship they’re moving to.”
“So the captains are in charge equally?” Judith asked, hands on her sharp hip bones.
“They form a sort of republic. We have our founder and head, Captain Ryan of the Galaxy Crown, and the individual captains bring the concerns of their charges to him.”
“And we’ll be meeting this Captain Ryan tonight?” Judith asked.
“Oh yes, Ms. Stone. Although I’m sure Esther doesn’t want to sit in on a meeting with a bunch of boring old men. She can join the rest of your friends for the entertainment this evening. You’ll be dining with the captains alone. You don’t mind, do you, Esther?”
Esther shook her head. She was relieved, but she didn’t like David’s condescending tone. He wasn’t that much older than her. She guessed he was thirty-three at most.
In the corner of the restaurant, the young woman in purple leaned across her coffee cup to whisper to the waifish brunette who sat opposite her. They shifted their gaze to Esther. She looked down at her salt-damaged boots, feeling self-conscious.
After leaving the restaurant, David took them up the staircase toward the main deck. Judith grilled him about rationing and work orders as they walked. Esther stared, wide-eyed, at the pristine corridors and elaborate sculptures and installations. Apart from Bernadette’s murals, the Catalina had abandoned aesthetics for practicality long ago.
They made their way out to the deck via a passageway lined with polished brass light fixtures. Outside, the sun sparkled across the whitewashed edges of the ship. The breeze was light, and the clouds had retrea
ted. Esther slowed and studied the exterior of the ship.
The Emerald had shields reinforcing its vulnerable decks, but where the Catalina had a patchwork of salvaged metals, the Emerald’s shield was composed of large, sleek slabs of steel. She caught up with David and Judith, who had walked to the railing.
“Where did you get all this material?”
David glanced at her. “We salvaged it, just like everyone else who makes their home on the water.”
“But this is almost enough material to build a new hull,” Esther said. David raised an eyebrow, and she understood. “You dismantled an entire ship, didn’t you? That’s why you have so much surplus.”
“We’ve been very lucky,” David said.
“What happened to the people on that ship?”
“We were able to accommodate them elsewhere.”
Esther stepped closer to him. “Is their water system still intact? What did you do with the engine?”
David shrugged. “I’m not the best person to answer those questions.”
Esther was itching to get down into the engine room and see how they’d made use of the surplus there, but she was distracted by the panorama that spread before her. From the deck of the yacht, she’d seen the water taxis and the tankers surrounded by cruisers, but from up here she could see the full extent of the Galaxy Flotilla. The ring of cruise ships contained not only the tankers but a patchwork of cargo vessels and a floating dock area with scores of smaller ships. The water taxis moved in designated lanes, forming patterns across the water. She counted a total of eight big cruise ships. A row of cargo vessels of various sizes floated so close together that they looked like one massive platform stacked with shipping containers. On the opposite side of the tankers, which had blocked her view when they first arrived, sat a massive supercruiser, even bigger than the Emerald Galaxy and the Crystal Galaxy. It was the obvious centerpiece, connecting to three of the ships on the far side of the flotilla. Galaxy Crown was emblazoned across the bow in six-foot golden letters. All of the activity in the flotilla swirled around this central point.