The passengers and crew of the Sovereign Spirit were informed over the PA system of an important news development and asked to meet in the main forward lounge after breakfast. Most of the forty crew members would be there, except for those on watch, and they would also hear the news over the ship’s PA. The sixty-six passengers were all family and friends – or friends of friends – of the ship’s owner, Scott Allen. Thirty-five of the passengers had joined the world cruise in Hawaii three weeks ago for a voyage that took them first to the Galapagos Islands. They were now en route to Cabo San Lucas and eventually to San Diego. Most of the rest of the passengers had been on board for much longer. The Sovereign Spirit was on the final leg of a voyage that had begun eight months ago in San Diego and had taken them around the globe. They had been through the Panama Canal, cruised the Caribbean for a month, crossed the Atlantic to Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Turkey, then to Egypt and on through the Suez Canal. In the Red Sea they had joined an escorted convoy of merchant ships to get past the danger of pirates in the Indian Ocean. Then they cruised to Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Bali, and down to circumnavigate Australia, before island hopping across the South Pacific to Hawaii. It had been the best experience any of them had ever had, but now it looked like the voyage would not have a happy ending.
Scott Allen and Captain Fisher spent the hour before the meeting reviewing the latest bad news on TV and contemplating their options. Luckily, those options were extensive. When all of the passengers and most of the crew had gathered in the main lounge, Scott and Captain Fisher stepped up to a podium on the otherwise empty stage. It had been decided that the Captain would make the initial announcements.
“May I have your attention please?” Captain Jordan Fisher began. When the chatter quieted, he continued. “Some of you may have already heard the news of violence ashore. In order to prevent panic or undue distress, we temporarily shut off television service throughout the ship this morning.” This was met with a murmur of unrest from the audience. “However, we have been recording all the news broadcasts and trying to make sense of what is happening so that we can give you the best information available. In a moment we are going to activate the projection screen here and show you some excerpts from the news that we have been monitoring for the past few hours. I must warn you that what you are about to see is truly horrific. I would suggest that any children -- and I see we have a few here -- should probably leave the room, along with anyone who doesn’t want to be exposed to graphic images.” Some of the people shifted in their seats and glanced around at each other, but nobody made any move to leave. One young couple looked at their toddler son and decided he was too young to understand. A few teenage kids gave their parents defiant looks. Then everyone returned their attention to the captain.
“Okay then, there is probably no way to hide from this anyway and it might be better if we all come to grips with it now. Also, after this meeting, the TV and internet feeds will be reactivated and everyone will have access to the live news again. So, let me just prepare you by outlining what we know so far. About twelve hours ago an epidemic of extreme violence broke out around the world. We don’t have reliable news from every country, but every place that is on the air is reporting the same thing. People who seemed normal yesterday are suddenly turning into homicidal maniacs, and their numbers are growing. One of the most shocking things is that these people seem to have become cannibals. They’ve completely lost their minds. They don’t talk. They don’t seem to use tools or weapons. They just attack people and start trying to kill them with their bare hands and their teeth. That’s right, it looks like they’re eating people alive. Worse than that, the videos show numerous cases where the people who have been attacked get up and become mad killers themselves, often turning on their friends or even family if they can.”
Every face in the room was filled with shocked disbelief. Many were shaking their heads. Some looked about to jump up and challenge this news, so the Captain signaled a crewman to activate the projection screen and concluded by saying, “Please hold your questions and comments for a few minutes. I can assure you that this is no practical joke, people. This is deadly serious. Please watch this five minute excerpt from the news and then we will try to answer your questions as best we can about what is happening and what we plan to do to protect ourselves.”
A twelve foot wide projection screen had come down from above the stage and a high definition projector brought the end of the world into the lounge in living and dying color. The video began with the same scene from Times Square that Scott and Captain Fisher had seen earlier, followed by similar scenes from around the world. Helicopter footage over LA showed traffic jams and fires breaking out everywhere. A scene from Tokyo displayed a solid mass of people filling the streets, too densely packed to see much detail except that most of the crowd was covered in blood. A scene from Denver showed the customers at a supermarket becoming the main course for a pack of crazies. There were clips from Paris, Berlin and those final moments from the BBC studios in London. Scenes of madness continued with most of the goriest parts edited out. Many of the selected clips included recognizable landmarks in the background, such as the arch in Saint Louis and the Space Needle in Seattle. A scene of the Las Vegas Strip showed a convertible Corvette plowing through a crowd with three crazies taking bites out of the driver’s arms and face. One very brave and clearly foolish reporter from MSCBS was standing in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, describing how well the police were defending Congress when he was attacked by two crazies dressed in police uniforms. The footage edited itself as the cameraman fell victim to the same type of attack. The collection of video horrors ended with another detailed update from Fox Rusher at GNN in Los Angeles, replete with more streaming gore in the inset feed above his shoulder.
“Reports are becoming more bizarre as the situation develops. A new statement from the CDC in Atlanta says, and I quote, ‘The current widespread violence appears to be caused by an unknown pandemic virus that may be related to rabies. It may have had a long incubation period when transmitted by airborne delivery, or there may be another source, but it now appears to have a very rapid effect on the nervous system if infected blood or saliva contacts an open wound or is ingested into a healthy person. This disease has been tentatively named Super Rabies and is classified as a Level 5 Bio-Hazard.
“‘Avoid contact with those who are infected at all costs. Isolate or terminate any infected person immediately. A reported side effect of this condition is that the infected do not seem to feel pain or have any higher brain function, but they can continue to move and attack others long after receiving mortal injuries. The only reliable way to fully stop one of the infected is to inflict massive trauma to the brain. It is the opinion of the CDC that the infected are incurable and pose such a danger to others that terminating them should not be considered murder, but is instead a matter of self-preservation for all of us.’ End quote.”
Scott, having already seen and digested this information, was watching the reactions of the people filling the lounge. It ranged from total shock and fear to outrage. He made a mental note of those whose faces showed more anger than fear. Those were people he would need soon. It was nice to recognize that most of them were his friends and extended family. It would have been more difficult if they weren’t. What was even more encouraging was the number of the crew who looked ready to kill every zombie they came across. As long as they were in that frame of mind, Scott knew that all of them had a chance to survive. Fox Rusher was concluding his update and this information would have an impact on Scott’s partially formed plan.
“It is not safe to go anywhere here in Los Angeles, or any other major cities that we still have contact with. Do not attempt to get to a hospital or any of the relief shelters that were announced by the media over the past few hours. Reports indicate that most of those locations have been overrun by the infected. Stay in your homes, or wherever you are now. Barricade the doors and windows if you
can. Do nothing to attract attention, because infected people do react to sound and visual stimulus. We don’t know enough to tell you anything else right now. Just find the safest place, wherever you are. Put whatever food and water you have at hand in there. Then sit tight and wait for further updates. The Emergency Broadcast system is now activated on local television and radio stations and will be your best source of local news.
“The GNN headquarters building here in Santa Monica is in full lockdown and the police have arrived to help us secure it as a national media asset. Although the public power grids, along with telecommunications and cable television networks, are failing in many areas, the GNN studios have back-up generators and our own satellite transmitters that should allow us to continue bringing you breaking news as this unprecedented crisis develops.”
The video ended and the shades were raised to reveal the bright sky and the clear blue waters of the Pacific. Scott took a few moments to reflect on his own life experience as a basis for presenting himself as a leader to these people in a crisis situation. Captain Fisher was clearly in command of the ship and crew, but Scott was the owner who would decide where they sailed her. He was also the host to all of the passengers, including many of his close friends and family. But it was obvious that this was no longer a pleasure cruise. The course they set now would be based on the necessities of survival. It was time to explain that to everyone. Scott moved to the podium and stood next to Captain Fisher, facing a silent crowd.
“Okay,” said Scott. “Now you all know the bad news. It’s like a horror movie come to life out there and it seems to be happening everywhere at once. I’m sure all of you are worried about your friends and family ashore, and I can only add my own prayers for their safety. There is no reason to lose hope for them. Bad as it looks on the news, we need to remember that most of that footage is from crowed cities where something like this would hit hardest and the news networks will only be interested in the bad news today. I’m sure there are still of a lot of safe places and a lot of smart people who are finding them. But, as terrible as this news is, there is still some good news for all of us aboard this ship.”
“Like what?” called a voice from the back of the room. “What could possibly be good news after seeing that?!” Quite a few people murmured agreement.
“Well,” Scott replied calmly and clearly, “for starters we are in the middle of the ocean and not in the middle of that. Secondly, and more importantly, nobody on this ship is showing any signs of infection.” Heads began to nod agreement with Scott now. “I’m not sure if they are right, but that statement from the CDC said they think this virus has been spreading passively around the world for several weeks before turning the first batch of victims into monsters. That would explain why it seems to be happening everywhere at once now. But, if it has only been around for a few weeks, then none of us have been exposed to it yet.”
“That’s right,” interjected the Captain. “We left Hawaii three weeks ago, sailed one week to the Galapagos Islands, had very little contact with anyone during the week we were there, and have spent the last week sailing north through the Pacific. I agree with Mr. Allen that we are all probably free of infection.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Scott continued. “So the best news is that we appear to be unaffected by either the disease or the violence sweeping around the rest of the world. But there is more good news for us too, most of it also thanks to being on this ship.” Scott could see many of the people looking interested as their glazed looks of shock and anger gave way to at least a glimmer of hope.
“As you all know, the Sovereign Spirit is quite a special ship with many unique features and capabilities…”
At more than one and a half football fields in length, the Sovereign Spirit was one of the largest private luxury pleasure craft in the world, an expedition mega yacht, but she had begun her life as a working open ocean passenger and car ferry in the North Sea. Later she was converted to a specialty cruise ship. More recently she had been used by a satellite television network for party cruises and film shoots in Europe and Asia. Scott Allen had purchased her after winning more than $300 million in the Mega Millions Lottery. The Sovereign Spirit had been a steal at less than $10 million. One of the three diesel engines needed to be replaced for a million dollars. Then Scott added lots of “toys” and upgrades that ate up another five million. Their current global cruise had cost two million and change, including wages for the crew, fuel and provisions, etc... Nevertheless, it had still appeared to be a good investment – even before zombies consumed the globe. Scott had planned to use the ship for a few more private cruises to exotic locations and then find a spot in either the South Pacific or Caribbean to permanently dock or moor her as a floating resort hotel, specializing in scuba diving and fishing excursions. Then she would serve him as both a source of income and a vacation home. Now it appeared that he had invested in what was possibly the best sanctuary and lifeboat in a world that was falling apart before his eyes.
The Sovereign Spirit had some unique capabilities that could be very valuable for survival in this newly changed world. Because she was built as a long range ferry, this ship had a vehicle deck with roll-on-roll-off (RORO) doors and could carry several hundred cars and trucks. There were currently about forty vehicles aboard, including half a dozen exotic sports cars, over a dozen SUVs, including a stretch limo Hummer, two fuel trucks, a large RV, several amphibious vehicles and even a mini submarine. Near the rear ramp door there was a full dive shop with scuba gear for fifty people, plus a dozen jet ski watercraft, as well as surfboards, wind surfers and a couple of kite surfing rigs. Scott had also added a two lane bowling alley and video game arcade on one side of the upper level vehicle deck, and a small casino with video slots and three regulation gaming tables on the other side, as well as a thirty seat movie theater/lecture hall. In short, there was no lack of recreational options for those onboard.
One of the other major modifications that Scott had made to the Sovereign Spirit was to replace four of the six lifeboats on the boat deck davits with more useful auxiliary vessels. These were comprised of a 38 foot Cigarette speedboat capable of going over 80 mph for up to 300 miles; a 38 foot Fountain Sportfisherman express cruiser with a 50 mph top speed that boasted a comfortable cuddy cabin, generator, and dive platform; a 38 foot Packman landing craft capable of transporting a car, SUV, or light truck ashore, as well as conducting deep sea fishing, scuba diving, and replenishment operations; and a 38 foot Hydra Terra amphibious excursion vehicle with seating for 48 passengers that was used as a tender to take people ashore and was capable of driving up a beach or boat ramp to operate as an excursion bus on land. The remaining two life boats each had a capacity for 110 people and there were enough additional life rafts in automatic dispensers on deck to accommodate a total of 1,000 people (which was the maximum Coast Guard approved capacity of the Sovereign Spirit). Scott had also added a thirteen passenger Bell 214-ST helicopter to the pad above the newly expanded Sky Deck. As if that were not enough, a Seawind amphibious airplane was attached to a crane over the fantail behind the swimming pool. Scott had thought of all these things as expensive toys until listening to the news that morning. Now they looked a lot more like priceless survival tools.
As far as living conditions went, the Sovereign Spirit boasted over 150 passenger cabins, staterooms and several suites, capable of accommodating between 2 and 4 guests each. There were also more than 200 berths for crew below the vehicle deck. There were two dining rooms, four lounges with bars, an internet café and ship-wide Wi Fi, an impressive library, a well-equipped gym, a game room with ping pong tables, a cigar bar with pools tables, a spa with saunas and Jacuzzis, and an impressive outdoor bar on the aft deck by the swimming pool. The ship was currently carrying far less than her full capacity of passengers, crew, and vehicles, so crowding would not be an issue. She was also well stocked with supplies. A quick check with the Chief Steward had revealed at least another two weeks’ worth of perishables
, several months’ worth of frozen meats, and as much as six months’ supply of dry and canned goods, not to mention the well stocked liquor and wine lockers. The fuel tanks were close to half full and one of the fuel trucks on the vehicle deck was full of extra diesel. In short, the ship could remain at sea for many weeks, even months if necessary, and travel at least another four thousand miles without refueling.
“So,” Scott summed up, “as you can see, even though the world seems to be going to hell in a hand basket, our own situation is far from hopeless. We have plenty of food and fuel to wait at sea for things to quiet down before we even need to think about going ashore, or where to land. And wherever we go we will be bringing our own vehicles and support systems with us. Even if it is not safe to live ashore for an extended period of time, we can keep living on this ship indefinitely if we have to. Any questions?”
“Damned right there are!” shouted George Hammer, a tall, broad shouldered man with thinning hair in his late fifties. Scott had expected trouble from him. He was a general contractor who had just finished building Scott’s new beach house in Cabo San Lucas. His bonus for completing the job on time had been for him and his wife to fly to Hawaii and cruise back to Cabo, via the Galapagos, on the Sovereign Spirit, then present Scott with his new vacation home and take a check for the retention on his contract. This crisis had obviously not been part of the deal. “What do you mean about waiting out here at sea for weeks, or months? We’re supposed to be arriving in Cabo tomorrow! My daughter and grandkids are waiting for me there and so is my business! What makes you think you can keep us out here? Who made you king? Why don’t we all vote on what to do now?”
“This is not a democracy!” trumpeted Captain Fisher, right on cue. “You are aboard a ship on the high seas! Maritime law says she goes when and where the owner and captain decide. But I will be more than happy to offer you a life jacket and a raft, if you want to leave.”
01 Voyage of the Dead Page 3