by Wilde, J. M.
“Now, I’ll give you a quick rundown of this ship. I’m sure you can tell by now that this is no longer an ordinary cruise ship. We’ve made some changes to ensure we provide you with all the support you need. Each floor has its own security and healthcare professionals, such as officers, a doctor and nurse, two counsellors and three floor leaders, whom you can direct any questions, concerns or requests. We have four main dining areas and a buffet that serves three meals a day. We ask that you ration food as much as possible as we still have much more time here and food and supplies are delivered from outside sources every two weeks. Two hospital carriers follow alongside in the convoy for any emergencies that your floor doctor can’t handle alone. The stores and gift shops on the eighth floor have been converted to suit your needs. On that level you’ll now find the following: an all-faiths chapel; a survivor support group meeting room; a non-profit run store where you’ll find clothes that have been donated; and ...” he paused, clearing his throat before finishing his sentence, “an orphanage.”
My tears began to flow heavily then, the horror of what had happened becoming clearer the further we sailed away from it. Perhaps I’d been too close to the heartache before, too intrenched in it, to see the bigger picture. But as I sat there, surrounded by others who had been saved, the enormity of what had happened to us was starting to form. And it was devastating.
“As I mentioned,” Bill continued. “Our aim here is to keep you safe. We must not forget that we are a huge collective of military and medical personnel, volunteers and survivors from around the world. The reality is that we are a huge target for further terrorist attacks. If you see or hear anything suspicious, please report it to your floor leader or another official immediately. And lastly, we ask that all physically abled people do what they can to help keep the ship clean, sanitary, and running. Anyone who wants to volunteer is welcome to.”
I knew I would volunteer. If I was going to spend the next five weeks stuck on a ship, I needed to do something with my time—keeping myself busy would help ease my pain.
“That’s enough information for now,” Bill said. “I don’t want to add to what must be a very overwhelming day for you. If you have any questions, myself and your floor leaders will be here for the next hour to help in any way we can. As for finding your rooms, those will be assigned before the day is out. If you would like to share a room with friends or family, we have forms here for you to make your request. We’ll do everything we can to place you together.”
He stepped down from the stage and was immediately bombarded by people asking questions. Soon, a line had formed for people wanting to request to share a room with loved ones, and Jo, Lea, Skye and I joined it hoping the four of us could bunk together. We were about to reach the front when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Morris, an urgent expression on his face. He tilted his head to the right, gesturing for me to move aside to talk privately.
“Sorry,” I said to Jo. “I gotta go take care of something. Can you put my name down to share with you?” Jo shot me a confused look, but nodded. “I’ll explain later,” I said before stepping out of the line and meeting Morris in the hallway.
“Commander Renner is on his way over to meet you,” he said. “You need to come with me.”
I followed him through the ship, gauging the full scope and size of it as we walked by lounges, restaurants, outdoor areas full of leisure activities, a library, cafes, and much more. Some places, like a casino we passed, were closed, while others were being run by volunteers. More volunteers walked the halls, some chatting to survivors while others rushed by on their way somewhere.
“How many survivors are here?” I asked as we cut through a bustling dining room. Even though we were on a holiday cruise ship, it was very clear that no-one here was on vacation. Every single person looked worn, tired and full of sadness. Many were injured, with cuts and bruises or bandaged arms. The vessel may have had the glitz and glamour of a luxury cruise liner, but it was heavy with the feelings of loss, heartbreak and displacement.
“On this ship we have over 2,000 survivors,” Morris said. “I’d say we picked up another five hundred in your group today. I heard there’s about 2,000 on the other cruise ship and just over 3,000 on the biggest. And I think we have about one hundred on M1, the first hospital carrier, and another hundred on M2,” he pulled on a door that had the words ‘Crew Only’ in bold letters on it and held it open for me. “The word from the HMS Saviour is that they’re expecting to collect another thousand per city as we go. Walking through these halls, it seems like a lot ... but 10,000 survivors out of the 23 million population of Australia isn’t the result we were hoping for.”
I felt sick to my stomach as those startling numbers repeated over and over in my mind. It dawned on me just how slim my chances of survival had been, and how lucky I was to get out of Australia alive. The shock rattled me so much that I didn’t even notice we were walking onto the bridge of the ship. I gazed through the window, which stretched across the room, allowing for an almost 360 degree view of the ocean. The room was busy with crew members, and I looked out the window to see we were surrounded by war ships. A tall, clean-shaven man with broad shoulders turned to greet me as we entered, and I assumed it was Commander Renner. Dressed in a dark navy uniform lined with eight golden buttons on his double-breasted jacket and three gold trims on his sleeves, the third curving into a loop at the top, he stood with pride, holding his blue, white and gold hat in his hands.
“Commander,” Morris said, for a moment raising his hand towards his head as if to salute, before deciding against it. The way his face turned bright red gave me the impression he had not met the Commander before. “This is Eva. She has the folder the Captain told you about.”
The Commander shook Morris’ hand and thanked him before adding, “I’ll take it from here.”
“Thanks, Morris,” I said. He smiled and nodded to me before leaving the bridge. I turned my attention to the Commander, not wasting any time. “Commander Renner,” I started, but he interrupted.
“Follow me,” he said before leading me back out the door and into an office off the hallway. “Sorry, as I’m not yet aware of the kind of information you have for me, I thought it best to have this meeting in private.” He closed the door after me, inviting me to sit down as he took a seat himself. He clasped his hands over the dark wooden desk. “And please, you can call me Eric. What was your name again?”
“Eva,” I said quickly, wanting to get to the pressing issue at hand. “I have information for you that has the potential to save countless lives.” I flipped open my satchel and pulled out the folder, clutching it in my hands as I spoke. “I was at a field hospital where I met a doctor who had found a treatment for the Eversio Virus—which is what Dr Desai and her colleagues named it.” I paused, gauging his reaction. I wouldn’t hand the folder over unless I was sure he believed me. And I wanted to offer him a deal. His face was unchanged, either he had not yet grasped the seriousness of what I held in my hands or he had an exceptional poker face.
“But before I give it to you,” I continued. “I’d like to ask something of you. I have two friends on one of the other cruise ships. Right now, they think I’m dead. My request is that they be moved to this ship. We’ve been all over eastern Australia together during the outbreak, and it’s very important to me that we stay together.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s in the folder?”
“Do I have your word that you’ll move my friends over?”
“If what you have in that folder is truly as powerful as you say, then yes.”
I nodded, happy with my small win. I would have given him the folder even if he had said no, but I knew I had to try. I couldn’t stand the thought of Wyatt believing I was dead a moment longer. I opened the folder, spun it around and slid it over to him. He took it, his eyes scanning every word on the page with urgency, and I started to have faith that he would give it the critical attention it deserved.
&nbs
p; After reading the first few pages detailing Priya’s research, he looked up at me. “Where is Dr Desai now?”
“She stayed behind at the field hospital,” I said. “I tried to persuade her to leave with me, but she refused. She chose to stay with her patients.”
“That was very noble of her,” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice. “We have a secured floor on the M1,” he said. “A team of scientists are working there around the clock, trying to come up with a treatment. As we’ve only been in Australian waters for less than a week and have no-one on the ground, we’ve had little time or resources to learn about the virus. But I can already see that this research of Dr Desai’s is miles ahead of ours. This will be an invaluable breakthrough for our team.”
My shoulders relaxed for the first time since Priya handed me that folder. I had done it. I had ensured it was delivered to the right people, and they would be using it to save lives as soon as possible.
“I’ll take this to the M1 right away,” Eric continued as he stood up from the desk, sliding the folder under his arm. “I cannot thank you enough for risking your life to get this research to us, Eva.”
“I’m just sorry Dr Desai couldn’t give it to you herself,” I said as I stood to leave the office.
“Well, if it’s any consolation,” he said as we stepped into the hallway. “Dr Desai will go down in history as a hero.”
A weak smile spread across my face. “That does help. Thank you.”
We were about to part ways, when he stopped me. “Oh, Eva. The Captain mentioned that you requested to see me specifically?”
“I did,” I said. “I heard your pre-recorded emergency broadcast about this rescue mission. I requested to speak to you because you’re the only one I knew I could trust. If it wasn’t for your message, I’d still be in Australia. I’d still be trapped. Thank you.”
I reached my hand out, and as he shook it, I expected to see pride in his eyes. But all I saw was humility, and a touch of self-consciousness. “Well, I’m very glad I could help, Eva. But I was just doing my job.”
“Maybe so,” I said. “But you’ve saved lives. You all have.”
He tapped the folder. “So have you.”
Chapter Fourteen
That night, as the rhythm of the ocean gently rocked the ship, I rested my head on my pillow and tried to calm my mind. I was finding it hard to relax, struggling to believe I was safe, that I’d made it to the ship. I tried not to think of how many times I’d cheated death, instead focusing on the sound of my roommates’ slowed breathing as they slept, hoping it would lull me into sleep too. Our room was small, but cosy. With two sets of bunk beds, a bathroom with a toilet and shower, and a round window overlooking the sea, it was more than enough for Jo, Lea, Skye and I to live in while we made the journey to London. All the luxuries of the cruise ship didn’t matter to us: after everything we had endured, safety was the real luxury. I rolled onto my side to look out the window, gazing up at the stars from my bottom bunk.
After my meeting with Eric, I went back to the induction area to find Jo. She took me to the top deck to see Hunter, who had almost bowled me over in his frenzied excitement to see me. Jo and I sat in the sunshine together, watching the eastern seaboard of Australia pass us by as I told her how I’d survived the infection. Even though we had only been separated for a matter of days, I felt like I hadn’t seen her in weeks. So much had happened. I let out a quiet yawn as I wondered if Commander Renner would stay true to his word and move Wyatt and Ben to our ship.
Heavy footsteps in the hallway caught my attention, my mind still on high alert for signs of threats. I tried to convince myself that I was safe, that I had nothing to worry about, but then I heard the sound of a keycard being pushed into our door and I knew something wasn’t right. I sat up just as the door swung open, light from the hallway shining in and silhouetting three figures standing in the threshold.
“That’s her,” a voice said, and I recognized it as Commander Renner. A man and a woman in army uniforms walked towards me and instructed me to get out of the bed.
“What’s going on?” I asked. Jo, Lea and Skye had woken from the noise, joining me in my confusion.
“Eva,” Eric said as he stood in the doorway. “You have to come with us.”
“Why?” I asked as I stepped out of bed, but he didn’t answer.
Jo rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “What’s happening?”
“Are we being evacuated?” Skye asked as she jumped off the top bunk in a panic. Lea and Jo sat up in their beds, their eyes wide in fear.
“Ma’am, please go back to bed,” Eric said, keeping his eyes on me. “No-one is being evacuated. We’re just here for Eva.”
One of the officers gestured for me to walk ahead of them, and I noticed they were purposely avoiding making physical contact with me. Dread washed over me as I realised they must have reached the end of Priya’s research folder. Eric knew I’d been infected, and he was there to take me away. I looked back at the others and held my hand up to calm them down. “It’s okay. I think I know what this is about.”
I went peacefully, knowing protesting or fighting them would be futile. All I could do was go with them and hope they believed what my medical report said: that I was healed of the virus. With an army officer on either side of me and Eric leading the way, we walked silently down the hall and into the stairwell.
“You omitted some very vital information in our meeting, Eva,” Eric said as we filed down the stairs. “Something that could have endangered everyone on this ship, including your friends.”
“I’m not a danger to anyone,” I objected. We reached the open platform of the ship, and I saw a rescue boat waiting for us.
“Get on,” Eric said.
“Where are we going?” I asked, acting tough even though I was terrified that they were going to take me back onto land.
“The M1 hospital carrier,” he said. “Our team needs to run some tests on you. We can’t expose you to anyone else until we’re sure you’re as healthy as Dr Desai’s research claims you are. Now, get on.”
I did as he asked, relieved to know I wasn’t being kicked off the ship. Eric and I sat facing each other on the boat as it sped towards the medical ship.
“Why didn’t you tell me you have been treated for the infection?” he asked.
“I didn’t intend to be dishonest,” I said truthfully. “It’s just ... I came so close to death too many times to get to the rescue ship. I was afraid you would kick me off if you knew. I thought that, once you read the full report, you’d believe I wasn’t a risk to anyone.”
“I know you’re not a risk to anyone,” he said. “But I need to know all the facts. You show no symptoms of the virus, and you were tested on the barge before arriving at the ship. Testing you again is a security measure. We need to take all precautions necessary to ensure the safety of everyone in this fleet, including yourself. What’s more, analyzing your blood will likely help our researchers even more.”
I nodded, irritated at myself for not being brave enough to tell Eric the truth earlier that day. The boat slowed alongside the hospital carrier and we stepped onto the platform. Eric took me to the secured floor, where we passed a room full of people in biohazard suits cutting open a zombie that had been strapped to the operating table. I was shocked to see it was still moving as they sliced into its abdomen.
“Why isn’t that thing dead?” I asked, alarmed at the sight.
“When the brain dies, the virus dies with it,” Eric explained. “They need to keep it animated for the duration of the live autopsy. But I assure you, the moment the corpse is unnecessary, it’s taken care of.”
“I’m sorry,” I said angrily. “That’s not a good enough answer.” I slammed my palm on the window, attracting their attention. “Kill that thing!” I called through the glass. “You can’t keep them here! Kill it!”
“Eva,” Eric said, taking my hand off the glass. “That’s enough. They know what they’re doing.”
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br /> “Bullshit,” I spat. “If they knew what they were doing, that monster wouldn’t be anywhere near this ship.”
He ignored me, as did the people in the room, who continued slicing into the zombie. Their ignorance infuriated me, and I knew if they had seen what I had seen, they would listen to my warnings.
Eric continued walking, pausing to wait for me to move along, and I did so reluctantly. We walked by another room, where it appeared a live autopsy had just been completed. One of the scientists slid a thin metal spike into the zombie’s head, killing it swiftly. We reached the end of the long dimly-lit hallway and entered a room where four scientists were waiting for me. They instructed me to lie down and proceeded to take a sample of my blood.
Ten hours later, my stay at the hospital was over and we were speeding over the sea towards the cruise ship. My blood work had come back clear—as I knew it would—and they had enough of it to analyze and add to their own research of how the treatment works. With their results matching Priya’s exactly, they had confirmation that the treatment was successful and they intended to start working on it straight away.
Even though I spent most of the night on the hospital bed, I didn’t get a moment of sleep. A room full of strangers watching me while they tested my blood was not conducive to a restful night. Not to mention the fact that zombies were only a few feet down the hall, every now and then screeching loud enough for me to hear. I hoped that Priya’s work would be enough for them to produce the treatment so they could stop using infected corpses for research. Having those zombies on board was too dangerous, no matter how much it helped their investigations.
“Thank you for your co-operation, Eva,” Eric said. “I must insist that you be honest and forthcoming about everything from now on.”
“I will be,” I said before I stepped off the boat and back onto the ship. Eric stayed on the boat, as he was needed back on the HMS Saviour to prepare for the Melbourne rescue. The boat sped away, disappearing among the colony of ships around us. I sleepily walked back to my room, hoping Jo, Lea and Skye hadn’t worried about me all night. I slid my keycard in the door and turned the handle, looking forward to getting some rest after such an odd night. I stepped inside, not expecting to see anyone in there, let alone the two people who stood waiting by the window.