Noah's Ark: Survivors

by Dayle, Harry

“You’ll never find her,” Melvin said, getting to his feet as Reeve released his grip. “You couldn’t find her during the census, you won’t find her now. We’re not dumb.”

  Melvin walked towards the door.

  “Where are you going now?” Jake asked.

  “To check in with my friends. And to find someone to take over the second watch. You might have killed Stacey, but we’re going to damn well make sure we keep a presence up here.”

  He pulled the door open and stormed out.

  “Reeve, follow him, I don’t trust him.”

  “Sure thing, Captain.”

  Jake staggered over to the captain’s chair and slumped down. Lucya followed.

  “You guys should go and get some rest,” she said to Pedro and Dave.

  “I don’t mind staying,” Dave said. “I was scanning the radios, you never know.”

  “No, it’s fine, I can do that. You go on, take the opportunity to catch up on some sleep.”

  Dave nodded. Pedro followed him off the bridge, leaving Jake, Lucya, and Martin alone.

  “What do we do now?” Jake said. “I mean, I really thought, hoped, there would be something or someone. That it wasn’t as bad as on the television. But it’s all gone, Lucya. All of it. There’s nothing, just ash. Toxic ash.”

  “We don’t give up!” Lucya sounded defiant. “So there’s nothing here, it doesn’t mean that it is the same everywhere. We go further south. Norway. Scotland. We keep going until we find somewhere that escaped, like we escaped.”

  “No,” Martin said. He walked over to join them. “You saw that broadcast. That asteroid destroyed everything. We escaped because we were so far north. The further south we go, the worse it will be.”

  “What about the South Pole?” Lucya wasn’t about to give up. “We escaped at the North Pole, maybe the South Pole did too?”

  “Lucya, there’s nothing at the South Pole. It’s ice, snow. It’s the harshest conditions on the planet. Even if it wasn’t touched, what do you think is there for us?”

  “I don’t know! But surely it’s worth a try?”

  “We don’t have the fuel. We have maybe enough to reach Scotland, if we turn off the generator and one engine, just run the other engine. And then what? When we arrive there and find exactly the same thing as here? Then we’ll have no fuel left, no power.”

  “We can’t just stay here!” Lucya was starting to panic.

  “Lucya, we have no choice,” Jake said. “That asteroid has killed us like it killed everyone else in the world. It’s just that it’s going to take longer for us to die. We thought we were lucky, that we’d escaped. But they were the lucky ones. The people who never saw it coming. The people who were wiped out in the blink of an eye. Most of them probably never knew what hit them. Even those who did, they only had a few hours’ warning. Time to panic a little, to pray a little, to say goodbye to those they loved.” An image of Jane blinked before his eyes again. “We don’t have that luxury. We’re going to die slowly. Painfully. Of cold, of dehydration, of starvation.”

  “We don’t all have to die,” Martin said coldly.

  “What do you mean?” Jake looked at him.

  “This ship can’t sustain three thousand people, not with the little fuel we have left. But it could keep a few hundred alive. Long enough to find a way to survive.”

  “You can’t be serious?” Lucya stared open mouthed.

  “Why not? It makes sense to me. Decimate the population on board. No, not decimate, more than that. Sacrifice, say, nine out of every ten people on board. The resources on the ship can keep three hundred people alive for ten times as long as they can keep three thousand alive.”

  “Martin, quite apart from the fact that what you are suggesting is completely and utterly morally repugnant and out of the question, it would only prolong the inevitable. The ten percent you let live will just live a bit longer!” Jake couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. He couldn’t look at Martin. He got up and walked to the window, staring out at the fjord.

  “On the contrary.” Martin was getting into the flow of his thinking. “That extra time would make all the difference. We could create a farm in Palm Plaza. Rip out the plants, grow food. It wouldn’t be enough to feed three thousand. But three hundred? Maybe, if we were clever about it. And we can fish, too. Heck, we could even freeze those we sacrificed and eat them. Like those guys whose plane crashed in the Andes, years ago. There are other ways of generating power as well, given enough time. This ship could be made self-sufficient. If the population were reduced.”

  “You’re disgusting. I can’t believe you would even say something like that!” Lucya slapped Martin in the face and stormed out, slamming the bridge door behind her.

  “And then there were two,” said Martin.

  Forty

  EILEEN BAKEMAN STOOD outside her cabin, the tips of her fingers on the door handle. She had been about to enter, but a sound from inside made her stop. It was her husband’s voice. She found this strange, because he insisted on never letting anyone else into the cabin. Eileen had made some friends on board, before the asteroid, but Flynn had made it very clear that they were not welcome in their private space. So Eileen was curious; who was he talking to?

  Slowly, quietly, she put her ear to the door. Apart from the distant hum of the engines still idling far below, there was no other sound. She could make out his words quite clearly.

  “…so I beg you Lord, give me the strength to carry out your work. The first of many sacrifices is soon upon me. The end draws near, the beautiful day approaches. I am the instrument of your will on Earth, your humble and faithful servant. Amen.”

  Eileen gasped, took a step back, and turned to leave. The door opened and Flynn filled the frame.

  “Hello, my love. It is time for you to come inside.”

  “Oh, Flynn. Hi, honey. I was just going to see if the dinner service had started.” She took another step away from the cabin.

  He reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her towards the door.

  “Flynn! You’re hurting me!”

  “I said, it is time to come inside now.”

  He yanked her arm sharply, and in one movement pulled her through the door and flung her onto the bed.

  “Flynn, I don’t understand. What did I do wrong? Tell me what I did, Flynn, I’ll put it right, I promise!” Tears began to streak down her face.

  “Me, me, me, it’s always about you, isn’t it? You think you did something wrong? You did nothing. Nothing! You are a waste of space, and a waste of resources. This ship doesn’t need people like you. People like you are what caused the problem. You consume relentlessly. You take without giving back. You suck the world dry. He gave us a beautiful, abundant world. A world of balance and harmony. And now that balance will be restored.”

  “Flynn, you’re scaring me!”

  She dug the heels of her shoes into the bed, pushing herself away from him, but in vain. He was far stronger than she, and he simply tugged her back towards him. He reached over her head and picked up a large white pillow. It was embroidered with the name Spirit of Arcadia, and the logo of Pelagios Line.

  “Hush now, my love. It’s alright, I forgive you. And He forgives you, too. He loves all of His children. You will find peace in Heaven.”

  “Flynn, no!”

  But her words went unheard as the pillow covered her face. He held it down, a hand on each side. She writhed and kicked, and nearly broke free. But he sat astride her, pinning her down. It didn’t take long; her struggling quickly abated, and then she lay motionless.

  Forty-One

  THE SILENCE THAT had engulfed the bridge since Lucya had left was broken by a knock at the door. Neither Martin nor Jake responded. Then a second knock came, more insistent.

  “Who is it?” Jake asked wearily.

  “Melvin.”

  He got to his feet with great effort, still feeling somewhat groggy from having fainted earlier. The subsequent events had taken any ene
rgy that might have been left, right out of him. He shuffled to the door and pulled it open.

  Melvin strode in, followed by another man that Jake didn’t recognise. An older man. He was carrying a gun.

  More men filed in behind him. Including Melvin, Jake counted fourteen in total. There were no women. The man with the gun shut the door to the bridge and sprang the bolt, locking out anyone who might have a key.

  “Sit down, Jake,” Melvin said.

  He didn’t really understand what was going on, but he was in no mood to argue. He went back to his captain’s chair and sank into it.

  “So, is this mutiny?” he asked.

  “No, it’s more democratic than that.” As Melvin spoke, the man with the gun stepped up to his side. The others remained silently at the back of the room. “You made a promise. If there was no longer any chance that the owners of this ship had survived, there was to be an election.”

  Martin looked on, saying nothing.

  “From what you and your men have reported from your landing expedition,” Melvin continued, “we understand that time has come. There are no more survivors. The world, as we know it, is gone. You and your crew are no longer employees. We are no longer customers. We are all equal. We are all simply survivors. And it is therefore right that we choose who is to be in charge, a leader.”

  “You’re right,” Jake said.

  “The election is to be held today, immediately. You will put out a call instructing anyone on board who wishes to participate to go to the theatre, cinema, and casino. We have people in all three locations ready to hand out ballot papers.”

  “No,” Jake said simply.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “I said no.”

  “What happened to ‘you’re right’? Do we need to force your hand?” Melvin glanced at the men behind, and the man with the gun stood next to him.

  “Nope. No force necessary. And no election, either. Well, unless you want to run against anyone else. But not me, you’re not running against me. I’m done. You’re right, I’m no longer an employee, I no longer represent the owners of this ship; there are no owners now. I have no more right to be in this chair than you, him, or anyone else.” He pointed at Martin, who continued to remain silent. “To be honest with you, Melvin, I didn’t want to be in charge. I never had any grand aspirations to climb the career ladder as far as captain. I certainly don’t want the responsibility for three thousand souls given what’s out there now. Our days are severely numbered, and you are more than welcome to see out those remaining few from this seat.”

  He got up and walked towards the door, patting Martin on the shoulder as he passed by, but without looking at him.

  “Wait!” Melvin stepped to the side, blocking Jake’s exit. “You can’t leave the bridge. I need a pilot, and you’re the best qualified.”

  “Well it’s like you said, Melvin, there are no employees anymore. I don’t work for you, or anyone. You’re in charge now, so that can be your first decision, can’t it? Choose who you’re going to hire. I’m not applying for the job, by the way. Pedro’s good, and I think a couple of the junior seamen survived. I’m sure they’d be happy to interview for the position, or ministerial post, or whatever you decide to call it. Have fun.”

  He walked around Melvin, unbolted the door, and left without looking back.

  Forty-Two

  “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, can I have your attention please? This is an important announcement that concerns everyone aboard this ship. My name is Melvin Sherwood. For the last two days, I have been representing the interests of passengers on the Spirit of Arcadia. Today is one of the most important days in the history of the human race. Today, we start over. A new community. A community of survivors.

  “You will no doubt already have heard certain rumours regarding a landing party that was sent to the town of Longyearbyen today. Their mission was to discover the fate of the world. What they found was not good news. I will not lie to you, and this is difficult to hear and to accept, I know, but the town and everything in it have been destroyed. The landing party’s findings show beyond all shadow of a doubt that, as we feared, the world as we know it has ended. Anyone who survived the heat and storm of the asteroid itself must surely have perished in the highly toxic ash that it deposited. Maybe, somewhere, there are survivors who made it to some kind of shelter. But even they are unlikely to survive an encounter with the ash when they resurface. We are forced to conclude that the population on board this ship are the sole survivors of the human race.”

  Melvin paused, partly for effect, and partly to gather his own thoughts, unaware that every corner of the ship had fallen silent as people listened to his crackling voice on the PA, hanging on his every word.

  “Most of us joined this cruise as paying customers, passengers. We were looked after by crew members. Now, there is no distinction. We are all survivors. As many of you know, it was my intention to stand in an election against Acting Captain Jake Noah, as the person who would represent the people, and lead us in our quest for survival. Captain Noah has chosen not to stand. Indeed the captain has, I am sorry to say, abandoned his seat with immediate effect.

  “Every community needs a leader, and we must choose one as quickly as possible. I am therefore calling for a debate about the immediate direction we should take, and for an election to choose a new captain. Anyone who believes they are the right person for that role may present themselves. Everyone over the age of sixteen years should have a vote. I extend an invitation to all aboard to join with me in the theatre this evening at nine, where those wishing to stand can make their case, and we — as a democratic community — can decide our destiny.

  “Make no mistake, the times ahead will be difficult for us all. We will have to make some tough choices, unimaginable choices. History may not look kindly on the decisions we will make, but we must do what is necessary in order to survive.

  “Thank you for listening.”

  Forty-Three

  JAKE LOOKED AT the speaker inset in the ceiling above his bed. It had just fallen silent.

  “Hardly Churchill,” he said to himself.

  He rolled over and tried to go to sleep.

  Someone had other ideas though, and within minutes, a rapid knocking at his door arrested his slide into unconsciousness.

  “Go away.” He didn’t want to see anyone.

  “Jake, you’d better open up and tell me what on Earth is going on.”

  Maybe, he decided, he could make an exception for Lucya. Besides, she was the most stubborn person he knew; there was no way she would leave him in peace. He forced his eyes open and went to let her in. She barged past him and stood at the end of the bed, hands on her hips.

  “What are you doing in here? I mean, I am assuming you did hear what Melvin just said? Why aren’t you going upstairs to kick his ass? Come on! Jesus, Jake, if you’re worried about Tania, don’t be! She’ll have to look out for herself!”

  “Lucya, calm down.”

  “Calm down? Have you completely lost it? Kiera said you got a bump on the head. Did it knock all sense out of you? We need to go and stop him! Set the record straight!”

  “The record is straight. There’s nothing to get worked up about.”

  “He thinks he’s in charge!”

  “He is in charge.”

  A stunned silence. Lucya dropped to the bed, mouth open. She tried to speak, then realised she didn’t know what to say.

  “Melvin’s right,” Jake said. “I have no more right to be in charge than him or anyone else. So I let him take over.”

  “Oh, really? No more right, perhaps, but a lot more qualification! What does he know about running a ship? You think he understands everything it takes to keep this place going?”

  “Of course not. But he doesn’t need to, there are plenty of people who do. Martin, Silvia, Claude, you.”

  “Don’t count on me. I’m not spending a second helping him out.”

  “It doesn’t matter, Dave probabl
y will. And even if he doesn’t, we can’t go anywhere, anyway. You know we’re all dead, it’s only a question of time now.”

  “So that’s it? You’re just giving up?

  “What else can I do, Lucya? What else can any of us do?”

  “We fight! We work together! We find a way! We have the census. You know who’s on this ship? I’ve seen the lists! There are builders, carpenters, teachers, chefs, farmers, fishermen, mothers, doctors. We have every skill we need to be able to start again. We could build a home, a town. A city!”

  “Where? The land is poisoned. There’s nowhere left to go. If the land this far north is like that, there is no more hope.”

  “But there must be!” Lucya was crying now. She stood, looking up into Jake’s eyes. “I don’t want to die, Jake. I don’t want you to die! I love you and I can’t let it end like this!”

  The two of them looked at each other, motionless, neither sure what was about to happen next. They made up their minds at the exact same instant as they flung themselves together, the stress of the last few days fuelling their frenzied and passionate embrace. Two bodies sank onto the bed, and Jake knew he was no longer afraid of dying.

  • • •

  He awoke to the sound of Lucya getting dressed.

  “No, don’t get up,” she said from the end of the bed. “I’m just going to my cabin to get some things. I’ll be back in five minutes. If you want me back, that is?”

  He smiled. “Of course I want you back.”

  She slipped out the door and was gone. Jake lay staring at the ceiling, trying to work out how he felt. He had loved Jane for as long as he could remember. They had met at university, got together in the first week. He was devastated when they had separated. But deep down, he knew it was over. He had always known, if he was honest with himself. They wanted different things and had been growing apart for years. He had tried to blame it on the fact he was away at sea for so much of the year, but that was merely an excuse; things were no better when they were together. If anything, they were worse. The cracks were all too obvious. And then there was Lucya. Of course he had known how she felt about him; everyone knew, she was hardly subtle. And he was deeply attracted to her. But their rank on board, and their professionalism, not to mention Jake’s residual feelings for his wife, meant that nothing could ever come of their feelings.