“No, it didn’t,” Commander Lewis sighed. “Dr. Dane’s done all she can but we still don’t know much more than we did.”
“So where does that leave us, sir?” Lancaster asked.
“Nowhere good.” Commander Lewis shook his head. “How is the crew dealing with what’s happened?”
“Honestly, everyone is a bit freaked out,” Lancaster told him. “Burke killing that thing helped a great deal though. I don’t think anyone really believes there are more creatures like it out there.”
Lancaster saw Commander Lewis’s expression at what he had said and came to a stop in the corridor. “I mean, there can’t be can there?”
“I don’t know, Zach,” Commander Lewis admitted, “and that’s the problem.”
“I see.” Lancaster frowned. “Perhaps we should take some precautionary measures just in case then.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Commander Lewis agreed. “I want all watches doubled and no one is to move about the platform’s surface alone.”
“I will pass that along, sir,” Lancaster said. “And I will make sure the crew knows that it’s a precautionary measure and nothing more. There’s no point in causing any more…excitement than we need to.”
“Do so,” Commander Lewis ordered. “And make sure those on watch are armed. In fact, make sure that everyone is at least carrying a sidearm.”
“Yes, sir,” Lancaster said as they got moving, side by side, along the corridor again.
Lancaster left him as they reached the entrance to the control room. Commander Lewis entered it alone. Robert, Gray, and Hall were on duty. They snapped to attention, sitting up straighter at their stations as they saw him. Robert had been leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on the comm. console and nearly fell in the floor, shifting into a more appropriate position to be with an officer present.
Whether in an attempt to draw Commander Lewis’s attention away for Robert or just wanting to look professional herself, Gray said, “The storm is bearing down on us fast, sir. It’s increased to a Cat. 4.”
“ETA?” Commander Lewis asked.
“Within the hour, sir,” Gray reported.
“We’ve taken all the necessary precautions, sir,” Hall told him. “It shouldn’t be any real threat to us.”
Commander Lewis allowed himself a smile at that piece of good news and then asked, “Robert, what about the comms?”
“Offline, sir, but then we expected that,” Robert answered, still looking guilty as sin. “They should be up again not long after the storm passes by.”
“Sir,” Hall called for his attention. “I am picking up something strange out there though, Commander.”
Commander Lewis looked over at Hall. “Strange?”
“Yes, sir,” Hall assured him. “It’s hard to tell with certainty given the power of the storm out there but I am picking up something approaching us CBDR.”
“What?” Commander Lewis snapped.
“Whatever it is, sir, it’s big and appears to be drifting. Either that or it’s the slowest ship I’ve ever heard of,” Hall answered. “That’s all I know at this point.”
Commander Lewis scowled. The creature was mystery enough, now this too? The universe had to really be hating him today.
“Have you tried hailing it?” Commander Lewis asked.
“Yes, sir, no response,” Hall told him.
“Keep at it and keep me informed,” Commander Lewis ordered. “If it gets too close, we will have to deal with it.”
“Aye-aye, sir,” Hall said.
****
Ben sat in the corner of the armory with his shotgun lying in his lap. Maggie sat leaned up against the wall opposite from him, her own shotgun resting on the floor next to her within easy reach. Samantha was stretched out in the middle of the room, asleep. For such an attractive-looking young lady, she snored like a chainsaw. Ben was glad that she was sleeping though. It kept her from continuing to freak out and fall apart. He’d had enough of that already to last him a lifetime. Their plan of holing up in the armory hadn’t worked out exactly as they had hoped for. After waiting a few hours, they had tried to reach the bridge of the Princess Dream again only to find that the monsters were still all over the large cruise liner. Reaching the bridge had been impossible so they had hurriedly scrounged what supplies they could from the nearest sections of the ship and returned to the armory, locking themselves in again. That was when the storm had hit. The Princess Dream was built to withstand hurricanes if she was caught in one and that ability was now being put to the test. The waves and churning of the water from the storm was shaking her up badly. There was nothing the three of them could do though but continue to wait out the monsters and the storm. The movement of the ship had caused Samantha to come down with a pretty bad case of seasickness. She had vomited several times before finally wearing out her body to the point where she fell asleep despite the intensity of their situation. The armory stank of it though with Maggie’s help Samantha had been able to contain her sickness to one far corner of the small room where they kept their waste bucket.
“How long do think we’ve been in here?” Ben looked over at Maggie. He had long lost track of the time since the monsters attacked the Princess Dream. It felt like years had gone by. Ben rubbed at his cheeks, feeling the growing stubble there.
“All told or just since our last botched attempt at trying to get out of here?” Maggie asked.
“All told,” Ben answered. He didn’t have a watch but she did.
“A little over a day,” Maggie answered.
“It feels like so much longer,” Ben grumbled.
“Tell me about it,” Maggie said. “I don’t know how much more of the stench in here I can take. I am sure it’s not good for us. We sure don’t want to start dealing with getting sick too. The odds are enough against us already.”
“We could try to get to the bridge again,” Ben suggested.
“No, we can’t, Ben,” Maggie told him. “If we do that, we’re as good as dead. Those things may be ready for us to come that way this time. They have to know we’re still on the ship somewhere.”
“You’re giving them a lot of credit. They’re just animals,” Ben challenged her.
“Look, have you never read any about octopus? They’re a lot smarter than most people think they are. They’re supposed to be good a problem solving and other crap. These things…I think they are just as smarter, if not even smarter,” Maggie huffed.
“Maybe we could try for somewhere else then? There has to be somewhere better than in here we could head for,” Ben said.
“Nowhere that would be as secure as here if they find us, Ben,” Maggie reminded him. “Take a gander at that door over there. Ain’t no way in Hades those things are getting through it. That’s why I picked in here to start with.”
“Still…” Ben protested and said more quietly, “no one put you in charge.”
“Fine,” Maggie snapped. “We’ll get out of here when this storm is over but we do it together.”
Ben knew she must have figured out what he was thinking. He had been planning on going alone if she hadn’t agreed.
“That’s the smart thing to do,” Ben agreed. “Strength in numbers.”
“Don’t say that, Ben.” Maggie shook her head. “Those things have the numbers. There are only three of us.”
“You don’t think there’s anyone at all left alive out there on the ship?” Ben questioned her.
“I highly doubt it,” Maggie said. “Those things hit hard and fast. We haven’t seen or heard anything either while we have been in here or our attempts to get out. I would wager money that we’re it. Haven’t you noticed the lights?”
“Yeah, I noticed they got dimmer and went red. I just figured that meant we’re running on backup power or something,” Ben said.
“Exactly,” Maggie said. “That means there’s no one out there in the engineering room to keep things running, Ben. And if you remember, I had already lost
contact with the bridge when we met up with you. We have to face the real and very likely chance that we are it.”
“You’re a glass is half empty sort of person, aren’t you?” Ben snorted.
That made Maggie laugh. It was good to see and hear her doing it. She had been so cold since they met, it was a small reminder that she was human too.
“Thanks,” Maggie said. “I needed that.”
“My pleasure, Ms….” Ben paused, realizing he didn’t know her last name.
At that moment, Samantha stirred, groaning loudly.
Maggie moved closer to the younger woman. “You okay?” she asked, gently laying a hand on Samantha’s shoulder.
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a car,” Samantha said, still looking green.
“If only, right?” Maggie joked.
Samantha looked up at Maggie. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Not long,” Ben answered before Maggie could. “Glad to have you back with us.”
“Ben and I were talking while you were out, Samantha,” Maggie told the younger woman. “When this storm is over, we’re going to try to get out of here. Not just try for the bridge again but try to find somewhere better to hole up for a while longer.”
Samantha trembled beneath Maggie’s hand on her shoulder. She looked on the edge of tears. “Do we have to? Why can’t we just stay here? Help has to come sooner or later.”
Maggie and Ben exchanged a concerned glance. They both knew that the girl was the weak link in their little trio. They both knew too that they couldn’t leave her.
“Samantha, we can’t wait on help anymore. At least not in here,” Ben said. “We’ve got to get out and find somewhere better.”
“But,” Samantha pleaded, “Maggie, you said this was the safest place on the ship.”
“I did,” Maggie admitted, knowing better than say otherwise. “It’s not anymore though. We’re out of water again and if we stay here, we are really just waiting to die. I don’t know about you, kid, but when I go out, I want it to be on my feet and fighting.”
“Ben?” Samantha looked at him with pitiful eyes.
“She’s right, Sam,” he answered. “We have to move when this storm is over.”
Samantha didn’t say anything else. She just laid back down and curled up to go back to sleep.
“Sam…” Ben started but Maggie stopped him.
“Let her be, Ben,” Maggie said. “She knows we don’t have any choice. Just let her rest until it’s time.”
Ben shifted against the wall he was leaning on but listened to Maggie. It was pointless to push the girl right now. Best to save that for when the storm was over and they were ready to move. His right hand ran over the length of the shotgun he held. He hoped the weapons they had would be enough to see them through what lay ahead of them. About the only certain thing in their future, once they left the armory, was that they were going to run into those monsters again. They had been lucky so far. He tried to tell himself that they still were.
****
“Commander Lewis to the C.I.C! Commander Lewis to the C.I.C!” Gray’s voice boomed over the Meridian Platform’s intercom system.
Nearly tumbling out of bed onto the floor, Commander Lewis heaved himself up, stealing a glance at the clock. It was 2 AM in the morning. He could tell the storm had passed. It had been powerful enough to hear inside the base at its peak.
What the fragging devil? he wondered, stumbling over to hit the intercom button on the wall. “Lewis here. On my way!”
Throwing on some pants and a loose-fitting shirt, he grabbed up his belt and slipped it around him. He drew the gun holstered on it and checked the weapon. Whatever was happening had to be something big for Gray to risk his temper waking him up at this hour. He ran his fingers through his hair, straightening it as best he could, and left his cabin.
As Commander Lewis entered the corridor, sprinting for the C.I.C, alarm klaxons began to blare. Someone in the C.I.C had just brought the entire platform to alert status. Commander Lewis’s legs pumped beneath him as he pushed himself harder. He skidded to a halt at the lift at the end of the corridor. Thankfully, its doors opened as soon as he stabbed its control button. The doors shut behind him as he stepped inside and hit the button for the C.I.C. The seconds ticked by like hours as he continued to wonder what was happening.
When the lift doors slid open, Commander Lewis charged through them. Burke was waiting outside the C.I.C for him.
“Where the frag have you been?” she snapped at him.
Her lack of respect and proper military protocol for addressing an officer was something he was going to need to have a talk with her about but it would have to be later.
The two of them entered the C.I.C together. Gray was bent over her station, studying the various screens there. Robert was alert and trying to hail someone on the comm. Hall, Kennedy, and Mathews were there too. Each and every one them wore worried expressions.
On the main screen at the far end of the C.I.C was the image of a gigantic cruise ship. Her name, the Princess Dream, was painted in bold red and gold along her side. Commander Lewis could tell at a glance that she wasn’t under power. She was drifting and coming dangerously close to the Meridian Platform.
“Status!” Commander Lewis barked.
“That ship is the unknown contact I thought I was picking up earlier, sir,” Gray reported. “She’s adrift and on a possible collision course with this platform.”
“I can’t reach anyone over there, sir,” Robert added. “As far as I can tell, short-range comms are up and working again but no one over there is responding to my hails.”
“Maybe their comm. system was damaged in the storm,” Kennedy offered as an explanation.
“Maybe,” Robert repeated the word but didn’t seem to believe that Kennedy was correct in the assumption he had made.
“That ship is moving slow, sir,” Gray said. “Even if she does keep shifting onto a collision course with us, it’ll take time for her to get here. We’ve got a couple of hours or so to come up with something.”
Commander Lewis’s XO, Lancaster, had come into the C.I.C in time to catch the last bits of what was said.
“I would say we only have two choices, Commander,” Lancaster told him. “We blow her out of the water or we send someone over there to see what the heck is going on. If she is abandoned and adrift then maybe whoever we send can restore power to her and turn her away from us.”
The top-secret nature of the Meridian Platform gave Commander Lewis a large range of discretion in situations like this one. Even so, opening fire on what looked to be an American and civilian cruise liner seemed like a very bad idea, regardless of whether it was abandoned or not. If there was only a single person alive on that ship, to him, doing so would constitute murder.
“I like your second suggestion, Mr. Lancaster. Let’s make it happen,” Commander Lewis said, “and fast. Time isn’t really on our side here.”
Commander Lewis whirled on Robert. “What about long-range comms? We need to let someone know that ship is here.”
“Still down, sir,” Robert said. “We suffered some damage ourselves in the storm. Nothing bad but between the lingering interference and the damage, we’re looking at twelve hours, maybe a day, before I can have them online again.”
“Then I suggest you get to it,” Commander Lewis said, glaring at him. “You’re to remain on duty until the long-range comms are back online or I relieve you. Understood?”
Robert blinked in surprise but nodded. “Yes, sir. I understand, sir. Consider me on it.”
The platform was equipped with two small, powered boats. Commander Lewis could see that Lancaster was already thinking about who to send on one of them. Higgins was a must whether the old man liked it or not. He was the best engineer they had. If power needed to be restored aboard the cruise liner, Higgins was the man to get the job done.
****
Less than a half hour later, one of the Meridian Platform’s two
small recon boats bounced over the waves toward the Princess Dream. Hall was at its control with Lancaster standing next to him. The tall, thin XO towered over the squat little man. Lancaster had opted to take command of the operation himself. He didn’t really trust anyone else to keep Burke and Higgins and in line. Both of them were walking trouble. Higgins was grumpy and stubborn to the max, and Burke was prone to bouts of violence with the capacity to do real harm to anyone that ticked her off enough. Also among their small party were Leonard, Howard, and Mathews. Dr. Dane would have been a nice addition to their group but she was too valuable to risk losing should anything go wrong. Lancaster didn’t see that happening but it was always better to be safe than sorry later.
“We’re coming up on her, sir,” Hall told him, stating the obvious.
“Still no contact with the ship?” Lancaster called to Howard who was on radio duty.
“None at all, sir,” Howard reported.
“Mr. Hall, bring us alongside one of the boarding hatches. We can always cut it open if we have to,” Lancaster ordered.
“Yes, sir,” Hall said, nodding vigorously.
The small boat came alongside the cruise liner, pulling in as close as possible.
“There’s something strange about that hatch, sir,” Mathews said as he and Higgins approached them.
“Strange? Ya bloody moron! The thing looks half torn open,” Higgins growled, slapping Mathews on the backside of his head. The younger man spun on the senior engineer, scowling, but didn’t return the blow or curse him. He just glared at Higgins, rubbing the spot where the old man had smacked him.
Higgins was right. The hatch was badly damaged and partly open already. It looked like it might give way completely and drop into the water if they messed with it.
“Think the storm did that?” Hall asked, staring at the hatch.
“Don’t know what did but it sure weren’t no storm,” Higgins barked. “It’s been pulled outward, not smashed in.”
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