Sedulity 2: Aftershock (Sedulity Saga) (9 page)

“Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this
most tragic of times.
 
My heartfelt sympathy
goes out to all of you who have lost someone aboard this ship, or in any of the
other places impacted by this global catastrophe.
 
I plan to meet with all of you later today,
when I hope to be able to answer some of the questions that I know you all
have. Until then, please don’t go anywhere except here or the main dining room.
God bless you, and God save the
Sedulity.
”

*****

Hank Donner knew how bad it was out there, so he wasn’t
surprised by much of what the captain had to say. Last night he would have been
offended and outraged at some of the measures the captain had announced. Not
today. He had already realized that his status as a first class passenger
wouldn’t offer many perks in the wake of this disaster. The idea of actually
helping repair the ship took him by surprise, but there might be perks
associated with that option. He’d look into it. His biggest concern was getting
back into his balcony suite, so that was the table he would be going to first.
He suspected many others would have the same thought, so he made his way
towards the doors of the theater before the captain had even left the stage.

While he waited for the crew to open the doors and let him
out other passengers began to gather around him. He spotted Romy pushing her
way through the crowd with a geeky looking guy on her heels. She noticed Hank
too and changed course to reach him.

“So, you’re going back out there,” Romy said, more than
asked. “Mind if we tag along?”

“It’s a free ship, or it used to be,” Hank said with a grin and
a tip of his cowboy hat.

“What did you make of the captain’s speech? Do you think it’s
really necessary to keep us all restricted to two decks of public areas?”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Hank said, “at least until they clean
up more of the ship. There really were a lot of dead bodies piled up in the
places I saw last night.”

“Really?” her geeky companion asked. “You saw a lot of dead
people out there?” He sounded appalled.

“Yeah, mister,” Hank replied evenly. “Dozens of them. Maybe a
hundred or more. I wasn’t counting. And crispy charred corpses that have been
dunked in sea water aren’t a pretty sight so I didn’t look too close either.
The smell was bad enough.”

“That does it, Romy,” the man whined. “Let’s stay here and
wait for them to bring some more food to the theater.”

“Come on, Fred,” Romy said. “Grow a pair. We need to find out
if we can get back into our stateroom. If we can’t, I want to be at the top of
the list to get an empty room, even if it belonged to some of the dead people
out there.”

Hank cocked his head and gave Romy an appraising look. She
had more spunk and brains than he had given her credit for when she approached
him earlier. She had immediately identified the most vital issue for their
comfort and even understood the variables at play.
 
It was true that even if their cabin was
uninhabitable, there might be another one in good shape whose previous
occupants had died at the muster stations or were down in the hospital. If Fred
was smart he would shut up and do what she suggested.

“What do you mean by grow a pair?” Fred retorted instead.
“Haven’t I shown you a good time on this trip so far? I paid good money for our
room. I’m sure they will let us back into it as soon as they clean up the mess.
Otherwise I’ll insist on an upgrade to an even better room.”

“Don’t be so sure of that, Freddy,” Hank interrupted. “Your
money for this cruise means squat compared to the millions in damages to this
ship, not to mention the millions of lives and trillions of dollars being wiped
out around the world right now.”

Fred looked up at the big Texan, displaying indignation and
an unhealthy bravado. “What business is it of yours?” Fred asked. Hank realized
that this prick really didn’t have a clue, and decided to enlighten him.

“You’re from Santa Barbara?” Hank asked and Fred nodded
reluctantly. “Then I would be more concerned with your home, your friends, and
any family living there. These tsunamis aren’t being kind to south facing
coastlines.”
 
That shut Fred up and the
anger drained from his face to be replaced by abject fear. “The way I see it,”
Hank continued, “chances are that whatever wealth got you this far will be
wiped out in a few hours, along with your house and your credit line. So you
might want to start thinking like a survivor, if’n you want to be one.”

Fred stared up at Hank with his mouth hanging open, but Hank’s
comment had an unintended impact on Romy too. Her confidence cracked under the
realization that her home, friends, and family were also in danger of imminent
destruction. Nevertheless, when the doors opened, she hurried to keep up with
Hank’s long strides out of the theater. Fred tagged along like a bewildered
puppy.

“Don’t look too closely at the scenery,” Hank cautioned Romy
when they passed through the casino and on through the Martini Bar. “A lot of
people died here last night.” He gestured casually at tarp covered piles along
the wall that he knew concealed bodies which littered the floor the last time
he was there.

“What is that smell?” Romy asked with a sour look on her
otherwise attractive face.

“Don’t ask,” Hank said. “Just keep walking.”
 
He led them and many others past the
concealed carnage of burnt and drowned bodies, towards the main dining room.
 
Hank saw several of the crew manning tables in
the sitting area outside the restaurant and altered course to be the first in
line.
 
Romy and Fred followed him, as if
leashed.

“Is this where I find out if my suite is intact?” Hank asked
the crewman at the first table.

“Yes, sir,” the man replied with a forced smile. “I’m afraid
that chances aren’t good though. Most of the suites are off-limits for now.
What is your name and cabin number?”

“Hank Donner from Houston, Texas. Currently residing in
Sedulity Suite 10302.”

The man raised his eyebrows slightly and began typing on a
laptop computer. As he did so, Hank noticed that Romy and Fred were engaging
the next representative and providing similar information. Meanwhile, the
majority of those who had left the theater were streaming by into the dining
room. Perhaps a hundred were also forming lines behind Hank and the couple from
Santa Barbara. Everyone had different priorities in life, Hank supposed.

“It says here that you are traveling alone. Is that correct,
Mr. Donner?” the crewman asked in a polite tone.

“Yes, I am,” Hank replied. “Is my suite in one piece, or
not?”

“Well, sir, yes,” the crewman paused, as if trying to find
the right words. “Surprisingly, in fact, your suite is one of the few that
suffered only minor damage and is still considered habitable.” Hank smiled
broadly. His good humor was increased by the sound of Fred complaining when
informed that his Concierge Class Balcony stateroom on the port side of the
ship was uninhabitable. Then the crewman in front of Hank continued, “You will
be allowed to return to your suite, sir, but I’m afraid that we have to assign
several other passengers to share it with you. There are simply too few intact
rooms available to allow single occupancy in any of them, even the inside
cabins, let alone a suite.” The man clearly expected Hank to be upset, which he
was, but not enough to rock the boat at that moment.

“I see,” Hank said, while Fred continued to whine at the next
table. “So how many other people do you plan to pack in there with me? There’s
only one bed and a fold-out couch, you know.”

“It all depends on the final head count and how many cabins
can be made habitable, sir, but at least two or three more passengers will be
assigned to share your suite. I’m sorry about this, but these are the captain’s
orders and we really have very little choice in the matter.”

“I understand completely,” Hank said, reaching into his
inside vest pocket and withdrawing a hundred dollar bill. “Let’s make it these
two,” he gestured at Romy and Fred. “Then close off any more additions without
consulting me. Do you have that much choice in the matter?”

The crewman glanced at Fred and Romy, still in heated debate
with his associate, reached out for the C-note, and nodded agreement. “Niles,”
he called to the man engaged with the unhappy couple. “Tell them they’ve got an
upgrade to a full suite to share with this gentleman, if they want it.
Otherwise they can wait for assignment to share an inside cabin, or take berths
below in the crew quarters.”

The couple from Santa Barbara froze and looked at Hank. He shrugged,
as if to say ‘Take it or leave it.’ The truth was, if he had to share his suite
with others, these two were probably the best choice available. Romy was sexy
and smart. Fred was a pussy who would quickly learn who was boss in Hank’s
suite. It sounded like more fun than having a bunch of senior citizens forced
upon him.

“That’s very kind of you,” Romy said with a genuine smile.
Fred’s face still looked sour, unless that was his usual demeanor, but he held
his tongue and nodded agreement.

“Great,” Hank said. “Let’s grab a table for breakfast and get
to know each other, roomies.”

When the threesome walked into the dining room Hank noticed
an increasing pitch and roll to the ship. He also took notice of the howling
wind that drove the rain against the windows, as well as flapping tarps
covering gaping holes where windows had been. It looked to be anything but
smooth sailing for the
Sedulity
today.

Chapter 5

Satellite weather photos of the Central Pacific Ocean on the
morning following the asteroid strike were nothing less than spectacular.
Reminiscent of a supernova, or nebula in outer space, the cloud formations
emanating from the point of impact were hypnotic. These clouds spread out in
every direction at hurricane velocity. Like a Jetstream of tropical water
vapor, the mushroom of clouds expanded at high altitude into both the Northern
and Southern Hemispheres. When the expanding mushroom cloud collided with the trade
winds, parts of it spun off into dozens of super-cell storms that spread across
the Pacific at record-breaking speed. Many of those who had seen this process
unfold via satellite images were torn between fascination and fear.
 

Preexisting tropical storms, cyclones, typhoons, and hurricanes
would simply be absorbed into new and far more powerful weather patterns.
Forecast modelers and their computer programs went into traumatic paralysis.
This was unlike anything that anyone had ever seen or prepared for. Global
weather patterns were about to shift drastically, and even the experts were at
a loss to predict the results. All that was known for certain on that first day
was that the tsunamis and earthquakes would not mark the end of this crisis. Scientists
in nations far removed from the threat posed by tsunamis quickly became alarmed
when they realized the far reaching impact this asteroid strike would have upon
Earth’s climate.

Although their supercomputers were choking on the data,
common sense prevailed and extreme weather warnings were issued by the National
Weather Service in the USA and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather
Forecasts in Reading, England. They began with alerts for countries surrounding
the Pacific Ocean, but quickly expanded the scope of their warnings. Everyone
knew there was trouble brewing, but it was impossible for them to predict
exactly how much. What they really needed was data from near the impact site to
fuel their models.

*****

Kevin accompanied the captain back to the bridge when they
left the theater. Amanda had explained that she was going with Mrs. Krystos
down to the medical center where they would volunteer to help the injured for a
few hours. Kevin didn’t like the idea of being separated, even if knew where
she was, but agreed that it was the right thing for her to do. His own
volunteer work would keep him glued to the ship’s weather station and
communications gear throughout the day, but he would be right across the
companionway from Emily, who should be safe enough with Mrs. Farnsworth.

The captain had avoided questions from passengers on their
way out of the theater, only repeating that he was doing everything possible to
improve their situation and would have additional updates later in the day. On
the elevator back to the bridge the captain returned to the discussion they had
been having about the worsening weather conditions.

“So, Mr. Summers, you’re sure that weather conditions will
deteriorate the closer we get to the point of impact? Last night you thought it
would be more like the eye of a storm, with milder weather around the impact zone.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kevin nodded. “That was my first hypothesis, but
I’m afraid I was wrong. I didn’t factor in how big the steam column would be,
or how long it would continue. The data from your weather station shows a
direct correlation between the severity of the weather and our distance from
the impact zone. It’s getting worse the closer we get.”

“It is, isn’t it?” the captain said with a slight hint of
sarcasm. This was the first time since the asteroid strike that one of Kevin’s
predictions hadn’t panned out. It didn’t detract from his excellent advice for
dealing with the phenomena they encountered in the immediate aftermath of the asteroid
strike, but it proved that Mr. Summers wasn’t infallible. “Your prediction was
the primary reason I decided to sail closer, to find the best weather for
making emergency repairs, such as getting some of the broken windows covered in
the public areas.”

“I’m sorry, Captain,” Kevin said with obvious regret as they
left the elevator and walked toward the bridge. “I’ve never seen a weather event
like this one before.”

“Nobody has,” the captain said and patted Kevin on the back.
“At least we collected some priceless data. I’ll be happy, however, to get us
away from the asteroid impact zone. The sooner we get the injured to a real
hospital the better. The doctor fears we will lose more each day if they don’t
get better care than he can offer aboard ship.”

Kevin was gripped with a sudden wave of guilt that almost
broke his sprit.
 
Were people going to
die or suffer more because he had made a mistake in predicting the weather? It
was actually something that many weathermen had faced. Fail to predict a
flash-flood and people could drown. Miss the signs of an impending tornado, and
people could die. Predict good weather instead of issue a small craft warning
to boaters, and people might die. Kevin had never faced that type of situation
until now. Would the hours spent moving closer to the impact zone translate
into lost lives, or increased suffering, among the injured who needed intensive
care in a hospital?
 

When they reached the bridge it was nice to see some light
leaking down through the cloud cover. Heavy rain obscured the view ahead, but the
dull grey blur was preferable to the pitch black of night. The FLIR monitor
still displayed the massive column of steam rising ahead of the ship. Kevin
estimated that it couldn’t be more than 25 miles away now. His latest theory
also appeared to be correct, since the weather had continued to deteriorate the
closer they got to the point of impact.

The
Sedulity
was
pitching noticeably now, gale force winds and mounting waves driving into her
stern. It was an uncomfortable and somewhat unusual sensation because, instead
of the bow rising and falling as the ship cut through the swells, the stern of
the ship was being driven up, pushing the ship forward until the bow dropped down
and dug into the sea, throwing geysers of whitewater into the air and drenching
the forward deck area. This type of following sea was problematic at the best
of times, which these certainly were not.

“Alright,” Captain Krystos spoke loudly, “prepare to come
about to starboard. Our new heading will be 220 degrees and we’ll increase
speed to fifteen knots. Mr. Crawford, use the PA system to inform the
passengers that we’re setting course for Darwin, Australia, and the ship might
experience some uncomfortable movement as we turn upwind.”

“Yes, Sir,” Crawford said.

The captain picked up another phone and called down to
Engineering. “Scotty? Can you give me full power for a few minutes to bring us
about?” He paused to listen for a moment. “Yes, that should be enough. We’ll be
spinning up momentarily. Thanks, Scotty, I owe you another drink.” He put down
the phone and stared out at the raging storm for a few seconds, getting a feel
for the weather.

“Helmsman,” the captain continued, “confirm that the stabilizers
are engaged. We’ll be using all four pods and the bow thruster to bring her
around smartly. Let’s minimize the time that our beam is exposed to this wind.
On my signal we’ll increase to full power on engines two and three, half power
on engines one and four. Then we’ll engage the bow thruster and turn hard
starboard onto our new heading. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Sir!” the helmsman replied crisply. “On your command,
stabilizers engaged, full ahead two and three, half ahead one and four, bow
thruster full starboard, then helm hard starboard onto a heading of 220 degrees
true, sir.” It was customary to repeat a complex sequence of commands in order
to avoid misunderstandings, like chefs echoing food orders in a professional
kitchen.

“Stand by,” Captain Krystos said, waiting for the next large
swell to lift the stern. “Alright, helmsman, now! Let’s bring her around.” The
ship was moving much slower than during the high speed turn towards the blast
wave the night before. At five knots, with a following sea, using both the bow
thruster and the directional propulsion pods, the
Sedulity
could practically pivot on a dime. All four azimuth pods
rotated 90 degrees to slew the stern around, while the bow thruster pushed the
nose of the ship in the other direction. This type of maneuver would normally
be conducted at low power settings to make tight turns in a harbor, but the captain
wanted to make this turn as quickly as possible to reduce exposure of the
gaping broken windows in the staterooms, not to mention the temporary plastic
covers on damaged windows, to the gale force winds that had sprung up from
astern.

Kevin stood at the back of the bridge, watching expectantly
as the massive cruise ship swung around into the wind. Within seconds the
howling gale assailed the plastic sheeting covering the shattered starboard bridge
wing windows, causing them to flap madly and bulge inward. Pounding rain
accompanied the wind, drumming on the plastic like angry bees. The wind also
began to impart a mild list to the massive ship as its full force drove into
the twelve-story side of the
Sedulity
.
The ship’s forward speed was too slow for the stabilizers to fully compensate,
triggering an automated warning buzzer that unnerved Kevin, but didn’t faze the
captain in the slightest. Several large swells also smashed broadside into the
Sedulity
, furthering the rocking motion,
but the ship fought through these assaults and continued to pivot onto her new
course.

“Get ready to steady her up,” the captain said. “Cut the bow
thruster and give us some forward momentum with pods one and four.”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” the helmsman replied, flicking a few
switches and turning some dials. The two engines at half power were now
directing thrust astern to drive the ship forward, while the other two pods
continued to turn her onto the new course at full power.

Captain Krystos monitored the ship’s progress carefully and
shook his head slightly when the helmsman began to steady up on the assigned
course. The ship was now heading into the wind and rolling seas at an angle
that increased her rolling action, even with the stabilizers engaged.

“Helmsman, belay that course and continue bringing her about
to a heading of 260,” the captain ordered. “These quartering seas will cause
all sorts of problems if we try to cross them and head straight for Darwin.
We’ll take the wind and swell head-on until we put some distance between us and
the impact zone. If the new theory from Mr. Summers proves correct, the wind
should begin to fall off the further away we go.” He turned to Kevin and said,
“Isn’t that correct, Mr. Summers?”

“Yes, Captain,” Kevin said, trying to sound more confident
than he really felt. “Of course, this weather phenomenon has been forming all
night, so we might have to travel some distance to escape it completely. After
that we’ll face new storms and super-cells spinning off from the main cloud
expanding out of the impact zone. But retracing our course should get us out of
this particular gale, and I’ll work with your navigator to find the best course.”

“Good enough,” the captain said with a nod. The ship was
already steadying down, now that her bow was pointed into the weather. Rain
pounded mercilessly on the bridge windows and threatened to rip away the heavy
plastic protecting the bridge wings, but the
Sedulity
was riding smoothly now with only the normal pitch caused
by slicing through heavy seas. The ship continued to build speed up to 15
knots, heading back the way it had come, away from the hellish conditions near
the point of impact.

*****

Lydia and Amanda had just arrived in the medical center when
the announcement was made about a course change. The ship had been pitching increasingly
over the past hour and Lydia knew the seas were rough.

“This maneuver might be tricky,” she commented. As the captain’s
wife, Lydia had been through her fair share of storms and heavy swells at sea.
Thankfully, she wasn’t prone to seasickness, though she had been on cruises
where the movement of the ship tested her endurance. Making a major course
change in bad weather meant the ship would have to turn across the swells. That
could cause some disruption on even a normal cruise, which this was not. “Be
ready to grab onto something and keep an eye out for things falling over,” she
said.

“Really?” Amanda asked with trepidation. She was not familiar
with ships and was already feeling slightly queasy. Seeing and hearing all the
injured people in the medical center, along with the smells of medicine, mixed in
with blood, burned hair and flesh, was also getting to her. She wasn’t sure if
she could stomach it, if the ship started rocking badly. As if her thought
triggered the event, the ship suddenly lurched under her feet and cries of
alarm filled the medical center. These people had already been through far more
terrifying experiences, but had no idea about what was happening above.

“This shouldn’t last long,” Lydia assured her. “We’re just
turning to face the storm.”

Amanda wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. She would
rather the ship ran
away
from the
storm, but remembered that they had survived by turning towards the impact
blast wave and tsunami. She could only hope that the captain knew what he was
doing once again. Lydia acted as if everything was fine, even as the ship
shuddered again and objects toppled off of counters and carts, so Amanda put on
a brave face and bent over to comfort a terrified woman lying on a mattress
placed along the wall.