Sedulity (Book One) Impact (21 page)

Chapter 17:

The tsunamis arrived at the Hawaiian
Islands right on schedule, bashing first against the evacuated south shore of
the big island, then growing larger as they crossed the shelf towards the
smaller and more densely populated islands of the archipelago. Fifteen hundred
foot high waves rolled right over the little islands of Kahoolawe and Lanai
before smashing into Maui and Molokai. Many residents of those islands who
sought refuge in the mountains survived the tsunamis, but were shocked by the
unimaginable size and power of the waves. Tens of thousands of people who
didn’t go high enough into the mountains perished. When the water receded the
survivors realized that it had swept away seventy-five percent of all the
buildings and left most of the rest in a shambles.

Oahu took the worst hit. The
shallower shelf of the archipelago extended for many miles in front of Waikiki
Beach and Pearl Harbor. This caused the waves to slow and grow to colossal
size. The wave that hit Diamond Head was close to half a mile high, breaking
over the extinct volcano. Equally high waves smashed down upon the hotels
lining Waikiki Beach.  Not all of the tourists and residents of Honolulu had
been able to evacuate in time. Many of those who remained had evacuated
vertically, to the top floor bars, restaurants, and rooftop pools of high-rise
hotels and condominiums. Most of those people couldn’t imagine waves that could
reach thirty or more stories high, let alone threaten to bring down such
solidly constructed buildings. They were woefully mistaken. The tsunamis ripped
through Honolulu, engulfing even the tallest buildings and bringing most of
them crashing down into the moving mountain of whitewater.

Pearl Harbor was almost devoid of
vessels and people when the waves destroyed it. The Navy had scrambled to put
every ship and submarine to sea in the hours before the tsunamis arrived. It
was an exercise that had been planned and practiced countless times since the
surprise attack of December 7, 1941. They sought the safety of deep water off
the North Shore, placing the island between themselves and the monstrous waves.
The ships were loaded with all the Sailors, Marines and their families who
could get aboard in time. This was the result of a spur of the moment decision
by the Admiral in command. It probably saved thousands of lives because most of
the warships were actually able to ride out the blunted waves and remain
afloat. Those who remained ashore and did not reach high enough ground were
doomed.

There were reports of survivors in
the foothills of Oahu who brought surfboards and used them as personal
flotation devices.  One of them later claimed to have actually surfed the
killer waves and survived. There is no substantiated evidence to support that
assertion. Nevertheless, for every million confirmed deaths there were at least
a few miraculous stories of survival.

****

Hank Donner watched the destruction of Hawaii on live TV with
more than a thousand of the ship’s horrified passengers and crew gathered in
the theater. Night had fallen in Hawaii, which mercifully hid much of the
destruction, but it also made the string of headlights and taillights on the
crowded roads and highways stand out on the images relayed from helicopters to
the GNN satellite. When the waves rolled over the islands it was heartbreaking
to realize that every little light that disappeared signified one or more human
life being lost too. Hank didn’t have any friends in Hawaii, but he had
vacationed there more than once and it was still part of the good old USA. This
wasn’t like watching some disaster in Haiti or India, or some other godforsaken
place he didn’t care about. He was truly distressed to witness the destruction
of Hawaii and decided he needed a stiff drink. He waved to a crewman who was
also watching the news with a slack-jawed look.

“Excuse me,” Hank called out. “Can I get some service over
here? I need a double Jack on the rocks real bad after seeing that.”

“Get it yourself, mister,” the crewman answered with a scowl.
“I’m watching the news too, you know? And what I’m seeing tells me that I won’t
be kissing ass to passengers like you anymore.” Hank wasn’t quite sure how to
respond to that, so he simply exchanged bewildered looks with another passenger
who had overheard the exchange. The crewman who was dressed like a waiter and
had what sounded like an Australian accent continued, “That’s right, don’t look
surprised or offended. What do you expect? That we’ll all just keep serving you
like nothing has happened? Think again, mister. I lost a lot of friends on this
ship tonight and I’m watching millions of other people get hammered by the same
waves we went through. For all I know my own home and family are already gone.
So I’ll be damned if I’m going to run off to get you a cocktail.” The man
sneered at Hank before turning his attention back to the television.

Hank was outraged, but held his tongue. Part of him could
understand the crewman’s perspective, yet he expected to be treated with more respect
by the hired help. Hank was a paying passenger and thought the crew should be
bending over backwards to make him and the other guests comfortable in the
midst of this crisis. Hank wished the Filipino bartender hadn’t run off. He was
pretty sure that Armando would still pour him a drink, but the guy had run out
of the theater after watching just a few minutes of the news.

  Ignoring the rude crewman who continued to give him snide
glances, Hank rose from his seat and walked down front to speak to the officer
in charge. He’d set things straight and organize some proper service for the
passengers sequestered in the theater. The officer looked like he could use a
stiff drink too. “Excuse me,” Hank said as he approached.

“Yes, Mr. Donner, what can I do for you now?” Lieutenant
Reiner responded as he turned away from the projection screen to face Hank.

“That’s just the thing,” Hank said with a cocky smile. “I
asked one of the waiters for a drink and he was quite rude. What’s the chance
of getting some bar service here?”

“Slim and none, Mr. Donner,” Reiner answered coldly. “As you can
see we are in the middle of a crisis, not only aboard this ship, but around the
world. Nobody is going to wait on you tonight. In fact, I won’t be surprised if
most of the onboard amenities and services are suspended indefinitely. We won’t
let anyone starve, but the days of all you can eat buffets and free room
service are over. I expect the Captain to institute rationing too. From what I
can see, there won’t be many intact ports in this part of the world. So you
would be well advised to adjust your attitude from that of a pampered guest to
being a survivor who wants to pull his own weight. I’m afraid that those
passengers who can’t, or won’t, make that mental transition will have an even
harder time.”

Hank’s jaw had dropped open and he stood there in silence,
glancing up at the projection screen that continued to show scenes of
devastation. What the Lieutenant and the waiter had said suddenly made a
horrible sort of sense. Why should they continue to cater to every whim of the
passengers during an apocalypse? Hank wouldn’t do it. Only a fool would. The
crew of this ship were not fools, or they would already be on the bottom of the
sea. Hank realized that he would indeed need to change his attitude and
approach to this situation. He looked back to the officer and nodded.

“Maybe I should go back out there and help more of the
injured, or help the crew clean up the mess,” he said. Reiner gave him a
questioning look, unsure of his sincerity, then nodded and returned his
attention to the distressing news on television. Hank left the theater, telling
the crewman at the door that the officer said he could assist the crew and
other passengers in the rest of the ship. He did plan to do that, right after
he stopped off at the bar in the casino to grab a bottle or two of booze. He
also patted his jacket pocket as he walked through the mall, confirming that he
still held close to ten thousand dollars in cash. It represented his stake in
the high roller poker tournament that he had to assume would be cancelled.

Guest Services aboard might decline in the wake of this
catastrophe, but Hank Donner knew how to take care of himself and convince
others to serve him too. A hundred dollar bill or two should still buy good service
from some of the crew. It was stunning to realize that the crew might not
continue to offer the level of service and deference that Hank was accustomed
to, but he would take it in stride. He smiled when he remembered that he had
another leg up on the rest of the passengers too. No matter where the ship ended
up, Hank’s cargo container was still secured in the hold. Its contents and his
skill at using them would secure him a comfortable position almost anywhere.
Hank smiled and looked around with a new appreciation of the situation as he
walked towards the casino, hoping to spot that Filipino bartender.

****

Armando was grieving in the lifeboat. His pain was both mental
and physical. The burns on his face and chest felt like they penetrated all the
way to his soul. His hands were swelling to the point of uselessness. When he
ran out of tears Armando pulled himself to his feet and stared out the window
at the steaming downpour. The heavens were weeping for his family too, as well
as countless others whose lives had been cut short by the damned asteroid.

He knew he should go back inside the ship and decided it was
probably time for him to get in line with the other injured down in the Med
Center. The throbbing in his face and hands was becoming unbearable. Armando
looked down at the Iridium sat phone and wondered if he should put it back
where he found it. Then he thought of all the other passengers and crew who
would never see their own families again. Armando felt blessed to have been
able to speak to his parents one more time, even if it had only been to say
goodbye forever. He decided that he should offer the same blessing to others.
He placed the phone back in its waterproof case and clutched it to his chest as
he wrapped the plastic tarp around his burned head and body.

Once he gathered his nerve Armando pushed open the hatch on
the side of the lifeboat and leapt down the ten foot drop to the deck. He
rolled with the landing, getting scalding water inside the tarp and forcing a
brief yelp of pain, before stumbling to his feet. At first he thought he had broken
his ankle, but it supported his weight when he limped to the door leading into
the Martini Bar. Once inside he shed the steaming tarp and collapsed against
the closest wall, still cradling the case with the sat phone. Taking deep
ragged breaths, he willed the pain to pass and his strength to return, but was
afraid he would pass out instead.

“Jesus-H-Christ! What the hell happened to you now, barkeep?
You look like you jumped out of the frying pan and straight into the pot!” Hank’s
voice was something Armando never thought he would want hear again, yet he
couldn’t help but offer a weak smile and halfhearted wave. The big Texan was
standing over him holding a bottle of Jack Daniels which he offered to Armando.

“Thank you,” Armando said as he fumbled for the bottle with
swollen hands, letting the sat phone case clatter to the deck.

“Let me help you,” Hank said with a hint of compassion. He
opened the bottle and tilted it gently to Armando’s lips. The bartender took
several large gulps of the straight whiskey before starting to choke. Hank
pulled the bottle away with a grin. “That’s the ticket,” he said. “Best
medicine this side of the Rio Grande. Say, what’s in the case?”

“Satellite phone,” Armando choked out. “I used it call my
parents in the Philippines.”

“Hot damn! No shit? And they were okay?”

“They were when I called, but I’m afraid they are gone by
now.” Armando’s grief was apparent even to the likes of Hank Donner.

“I’m sorry, little buddy,” Hank said without derision. “At
least you got to talk to them. Does that thing still work?”

“Yes,” Armando nodded. “I brought it in from a lifeboat so
others could call their loved ones too.”

“Now that’s a mighty fine idea, barkeep,” Hank said
approvingly. “You mind if I make a quick call?” Armando gestured for him to
proceed and Hank opened the case, extracting the Iridium phone and setting it up
with ease. “I’ve used these a lot on drill sites around the world,” he said.
“Handy little things. Who’s paying the bill?”

“The cruise line,” Armando said with a painful shrug.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it short and sweet,” Hanks said while
dialing. “Hello? Marge? Yeah, it’s me, Hank… Am I watching the news? Hell,
darling, I
am
the news. This ship was close enough to spit at that
asteroid. We’re lucky to be alive. So listen, I just want you to tell the
investors that I
am
alive and the cargo is safe. It looks like all the
ports around these parts have been wiped out, so I don’t know where the ship
will end up. What I do know is that I’ll find a contract for the
Armadillo
wherever we hit land. You just keep the office open in Houston and wait to hear
from me. Go ahead and take all the cash out of the contingency fund right now.
You might need it. Okay? Right, you take care of yourself too. This is some
crazy shit. Give my best to the rest of Texas. Gotta go now, sweet cheeks.
Bye.”

Hank put the phone back in its case and said, “Thanks
partner. That was my secretary. Just making sure they don’t write-off old Hank
Donner as a goner just yet. Now let’s get you down to see the Doc. Those burns
look even worse than before.” Armando didn’t argue when Hank helped him to his
feet and towards the stairs.