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Chapter 10th: Atrium
The marching group of twenty-six moved forward ahead. Lani and Joyce have walked passed these areas before encountering with Snowdon’s party. Familiarized, the passengers and crew know that this wide corridor heads towards the larger public area of the Promenade Hall’s second level, which peers over the first level of Deck 2.
The area they are in, is roasted by a fiery flash fire. Sprinklers had soaked the place, stepping on puddles as they walk slowly. The faint smell of burnt material reaches their nostrils. It made Rico to blow out air sharply from his nose when it hit him. “Ugh…” Getting every smelly air he got inside his nostril out.
They all stopped, another black-and-yellow striped door. This wasn’t very familiar to appear for the passengers. The watertight door is fully closed automatically with a yellow flashing light signaling caution.
“Was this door closed?” Sylvester asked.
“Yes, we came from there. We can open it.” Miss Blake said.
Snowdon looks for the handles which was encased in a yellow box that said “Do not open. Watertight Doors Handle” in upside-down. Pulling the handle upwards, the doors made a heavy sound as it slides slowly open. “Wait till the doors are fully opened.” Snowdon ordered. Once wide opened, one-by-one passes in a orderly fashion. Snowdon saw all walked through and released the handle which the doors slowly slide back to close, enough for him to walk through it without worry.
“All accounted for?” He said.
“All accounted, Snowdon.” Sylvester said.
“Except for Malcolm.” Portia muttered.
For the curious like Sasha seeing the Promenade Hall, now standing on the new floor in front of cracked chandeliers, railings of the second level now hanging up on both sides, and marble tiles of the former floor of Deck 2 right above them. Surrounded of confetti, streamers and fallen intact balloons covered the bodies who had partied earlier. The lights are dimmed pretty dark, except the adjacent of the Grand Lobby forward, lights are much brighter than where they are. This is the place where Lani and Joyce were, surrounded with chaos of panicked people until disappearing from sight. No screams, no help, nor distresses around. It was silence that metaphors the large scale of catastrophe.
Walking about half of a football field, avoiding some debris and bodies, and finally stopping where there isn’t any safety railing. Standing a wide gap right between the two wider columns that posses the crystal elevators, the group sights the ominous looking upside-down world – the ship’s atrium. The first place where passengers boards the ship on the first day of embarkation. Sasha just wowed at the wrecked place while the others just speechless in their minds. The elegant twin staircases had been collapsed. Both sides of port and starboard are wrecked without a chance to walk around it. Below them was a well that once was the ceiling with an indoor glass dome that simulated the sky. It was gone, only water. It was murky, dirty with debris, and lapping near the ledges of the soon-to-be flooded deck. Above them was the statue of the ship’s namesake, still standing with its trident facing down with tiny drips of blood…
“Where are we going to start?” Russell said.
“I’ve only worked on this ship for a few days.” Lani said. “This is it.” She automatically pointed the now right side of the thick column. “There, that’s the wrecked bridge that I’d crossed.”
“The elevator’s tracks had been ripped.” Snowdon said.
“Are we going to cross it?” Stephanie asked.
The elevator on their right looks as if stuck almost one deck below them. Leaned heavily downwards with its shattered capsule glass, showing its “back” of closed glass doors with one of them cracked, but not shattered. The lifting vehicle took down its rail tracks with it. It swung directly right across the same deck. It might be responsible for destroying the twin staircases, with that, it shows a clearer path to go forward.
“Will it hold?” Carolyn concerned.
“I think it will hold; it’s solid steel.” Ryder the wolf said. He leaps with one step on the elevator and set himself on all-fours, a few creaks and groans from the elevator rumbled.
Kale startles what’s his boyfriend is going. “Ryder! What are you going? Get back here!”
Ryder didn’t stop and was already halfway on the twisted rollercoaster-like tracks. “It’s fine! We can cross this!”
“I never thought I would cross this again.” Lani said.
“Come on, Kale! Don’t let the others wait.” Ryder shouted.
“Coming…” Kale said. He realized he was closer on the elevator and the group almost huddle up closer his way. He cannot go back now. If he does, he will feel like a coward in front of everyone.
“Aren’t you going?” Snowdon said.
“Yeah… Sure.” He began on all-fours like Ryder did and follow along.
“Jett, Stephanie, you both ready?” Sylvester said. They both nodded.
“But, what about Sasha?” Stephanie said. “He’s too short to reach any of the tracks.”
“Don’t worry, Stephanie.” Mr. Parkinson said. “He’ll be riding on my back.”
Stephanie turns at Clover. “Can you do this?”
“Can’t believe we’re actually doing this.” Clover nervously said.
“We had actually went a more ruckus one earlier.” Jett said without any detail.
Kale fully crossed the bridge and met with Ryder the other side. Jett went in, followed by Stephanie and their mother. Snowdon asked Sylvester to stay by the elevator as base and carefully guide the others one by one as he carefully guide his wife behind with her kids.
“Don’t look down, honey.” Sylvester said.
“I won’t.” She assured and followed her children.
Floyd Archer leaned down curiously at the well as he picks a shiny flat bottle from his pocket with some goods. “Well, this is nice…” He opened the bottle cap and took a gulp.
Miss Blake saw this and said to him, “Mr. Archer, you better take it gentle with that.”
The hyena-man replied with, “You can have some if you want. It’s brandy – calms your nerves.”
“No… No, thank you.” The rabbit-woman said.
“I’ll have some.” Portia interrupted. The hyena didn’t mind and gave her some.
“Miss Mathews, you mustn’t. I don’t think it’s a good time for some liquor.” Said Miss Blake.
“I had enough problems after Malcolm was squashed to death by an elevator.” She spat.
“Mr. Robertson’s dead?” Miss Blake surprised. “I’m so sorry.”
Her dreadful stare, but still affected, was not of any sympathy. “Don’t mind about it.”
Rico was next to Snowdon near the edge, looking down more curious at the well; counting the numbers of decks above water. “Water had stopped right under Deck 6…”
Snowdon followed whatever he was stating. “Then soon the rest will follow up slowly.”
“Uh, I was just thinking about the shifted center-of-gravity, Mr. Snowdon. We’re upside down, the entire upper structure is flooded from 14 to 7; anchoring the hull where it is.”
“Makes sense much.”
“Once water rises, the ship will adapt the airless element which…” He pauses. “The ship can finally right itself up.”
“She’ll be at the bottom of the Pacific in no time.” He nonchalantly said.
“Those people in the ballroom, they wouldn’t know what hit them…” He quietly said. Only to Snowdon.
Jett, Stephanie and Carolyn crossed the other side. For Carolyn, looking down was nauseating. The ship is still showing signs of motions as she drifts. The giant pool of water is shown sloshing and reaching Deck 6’s ledges quietly with hardly any sound of rough splashing. Standing up safely the other side, Jett and Stephanie can tell how their mother cannot stands heights.
“Mom, are you okay?” Jett asked.
“I’m fine, son.” Carolyn assured. “I need to stay away from the edge.”
Kindly enough, Ryder fetched a thrown chair for Carolyn to seat. “Here, Mrs…
“Rycroft.” She introduced.
“Mrs. Rycroft, take some rest if you’re are dizzy.”
“Thank you…”
At the other side. “Are you ready, Mr. Parkinson?” Sylvester said.
The shepherd dog-man rubs his shoulder. “Yes… I’m ready.”
“Dad, are you hurt?” Sasha worried.
“I’m fine, son.”
Lionel Kershaw walked up behind him, “I remember seeing you protecting your back shoulder earlier at the ballroom. Please, excuse me.” He checks gently with his right hand until Joshua flinched at the touch.
“Hey! Easy!” Parkinson said.
“You’re going to have problems when carrying your son on your back. Let someone do it.” Lionel turns to Red. “Russell, think you can carry the boy?”
“But his leg is hurt?” Sasha pointed it up.
“I think it’s just a scratch.” Red said. “Come on, boy. On my back.”
Sasha obeyed, Red crouched down as Sasha climbs on his back. Wrapping around his neck firmly. The lion-man made one step down onto the elevator, crawling on fours slowly. Joshua follows next, Sylvester helps him climb one step down and he’ll do the rest. “Who’s next?” Sylvester asked.
“We’ll go.” Killian Maxwell said. Turns to his wife, “Can you manage?”
“Sure, I can do it. You’ll be behind me, will you?” Zoey said.
“Yes, I will.” He assured.
Red safely escorted Sasha to the other side. Joshua made it without difficulty. Now the Maxwells’ turn, Zoey went first as Killian crosses the wrecked bridge behind her. “Be careful, it feels slippery.” Said Maxwell.
“It feels very oily if you ask me.” She said. “This really feels like we had been taking forever.” Said Zoey.
“The sooner you get to the other side, the sooner we arrive at the bow.” Killian said.
“That’s easy to say. But this ship is bigger than I’ve imagined.”
“Miss Blake, why you don’t go next?” Snowdon said.
“But…what about.”
Archer stepped in. “Don’t worry about us, Miss. Go ahead.”
Aubrey then started. “You better cut that gown, Miss Blake. You could trip.”
“While these two are busy, I’ll just go ahead before the bear-man pushes me to cross.” Portia said and met with Sylvester to help her step carefully on the leaned down elevator. She had already torn off her dress to her knees.
“Glad that you’re cooperating.” Sylvester said.
Kershaw turns at his daughter. “Better go ahead. I’ll go last.”
Gwen said, “Alright, but, I want to say something, Dad.”
“You can save it for later.” He said. “Just not now.”
Joyce prepared, she crosses the bridge along with Aubrey after Portia crossed. Clover, Pricilla, Megan and Isaac catch up. Then Sidney helps Foxley along as Lani crosses it for the second time. As Rico cross this, Ryder shouted.
“Hey, Snowdon! You don’t mind if I look around where this corridor leads to?”
Rico reached the other side and then Snowdon shouted back. “That corridor leads forward to the theater. Wait till the rest of us!”
“Ryder, don’t go ahead from us.” Kale said.
“I thought I could buy more time.” Ryder said. “You know, clear up a path.”
Aubrey said to both. “Mr. Snowdon knows what he’s doing. We cannot be separated at any cost.” Portia scoffed behind her back.
“Gwen, are you ready?” Kershaw said.
“Sure…” But then Floyd went first and clumsily landed hard on the elevator. The black capsule shook a little with some rattling.
Sylvester picks him up. “Hey! Watch it!”
“Sorry…” Floyd recovers. Looking at Kershaw, he smiles. “Huh, big hero, right?” Pointing at him. “Rescued all those women and children from fires. Man, you got elected – you did well, but why quitting then? Couldn’t hack it? If what I recall correctly, you couldn’t even hang onto your wife.”
Kershaw had enough…
“Come on!” Arms spread for ready to fight with him.
Gwen grabbed her father by the wrist. “Dad, let him go. He’s just drunk. Okay?”
“I won’t feel a thing! Hit me! I’m like Houdini…” After a hiccup, “Alright, fine – couldn’t help it.”
Sylvester chuckles his drunk jokes before gesturing to pass him. “Come on, go ahead.”
“Assholes, both of you.” He continues moving through the tracks, using all fours with one hand still holding his flat bottle. Floyd is showing a lot of his movements rather slippery, making pass halfway, he slipped one foot and used both hands to recover, letting go the bottle. His sudden slip startled the group with gasps from the women and twitch jump scares by the men.
The hyena-man shouted. “Damnit!” The small flat bottle of brandy fell into the well with salted Pacific water. The splash wasn’t audible by the group, just a tiny sound almost as drip. He looked down when it disappeared from the murky water of bodies below. “That was my favorite bottle!”
Sylvester sighed. “What an idiot…” He stepped on the tracks to give him a hand. The tiger also saw the young human coming by to help. Isaac stepped ahead as Floyd was closer to them.
“Isaac come back!” Pricilla barked.
“I’m going to help him! Jeez.” He replied her. He moved much faster to reach the troubled the magician. “Come on, Archer.”
“Thank you, kid. I appreciate it.” Floyd said. “I’ll be fine, go ahead…”
BANG!!!
“Who the hell is shooting at us?”
Everyone looked up. Another loud bang and then a snap. It sounded close when Snowdon look up the base of the statue. One bolt popping at the time.
Snowdon screamed. “Get outta there!!!”
Pricilla screamed Isaac’s name and begged to come back. She attempted to go get him but was held by Megan away. Sylvester, Isaac, and Floyd – almost in the middle of the tracks – saw the statue making noises. They went what could they go. Sylvester moves towards back with Snowdon and Kershaw as Isaac and Floyd made their way with the rest. Trying not to look back and cross away from danger.
It was swift, the tracks got caught and buckle down into the abyss. Poseidon fell into one piece, falling head first into the water. A giant geyser roars high up to the former floor. Billions of drips fall back down. A huge jerk rattled the entire atrium; the statue impacting the bottom of the former ceiling where the dome was. The pool of water continues making waves as the everything clears up in seconds.
The elevator’s track was gone. The group tried to refresh what just happened. They see Sylvester hanging on the edge. The elevator was spared but leaned further downward.
Carolyn screamed. “Sylvester!”
Her children shouted along. “Dad!”
“Where’s Isaac?” Clover softly said.
“Archer?” Miss Blake wondered.
“Holy crap! Karma did it again!” Portia cried.
Pricilla screamed; she saw everything. Isaac making it back until the tracks went down with him. Disappearing out of nowhere. She approached the edge and peered down screaming for, “ISAAC!” The beagle-girl kneeled, falling apart mentally as she sobs in agony. Megan picks her up away from the edge. She already knows how she felt when she found Spencer crushed with the girder. All she could do was to comfort her best friend.
Clover just stood there, not at her cousin, the well. Trying not to look down and admitting the consequence in her conscience. “He’s dead.” She softly said.
Snowdon and Kershaw reached down to Rycroft. “Hang on!” The bear-man said. Each both grabbed a hand and pulled the tiger-man in. The four remaining were cut off from reaching anywhere to the other side. Gwen just couldn’t help it and realized she may have delayed her turn for a small reason. The three beast-men exasperated.
Shouting at the others that they are okay. Kershaw said, “Well, we better go back and find another way up.”
“Go back?” Snowdon said. “We just came all the way from there. I’m not leaving the others behind. You go that way, you die.”
“We didn’t look through every other corridor. We must go back!”
“You do what you want. We’re getting across!”
“If you got a better idea, I’m all ears…
“No, Kershaw, I don’t have another way, but we’re getting across!”
“You get stuck here, you die!” Kershaw turns to Gwen. “We’re going. Let’s go!”
“Dad, no.” Gwen cried. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“What?”
She glanced at Snowdon, “Snowdon, can you get me across?”
“Gwen, darling, listen…”
“No! I haven’t been in a long time, Dad!” She rummages through her pockets in her jeans and got what she wanted to tell so bad. A ring. She exhaled, facing her father. “Red asked me to marry him.”
“Gwen…” Lionel Kershaw was speechless.
“I love him. I need to find a way to go with him.”
“Gwen, please, you need to listen to me for a second.”
“I’m not going back, Dad.”
“You better listen to your daughter, Kershaw. We’re going to cross.” Sylvester said. He left away from them in a whim.
“Rycroft, where are you going?” Snowdon wondered.
“Thinking!” He shouted. Finding a red box fixed on the wall near by. He opens it up, a rolled-up fire hose well equipped. Picking up the whole of it, Carolyn is being observing her husband’s movements and wonders for the fire hose he’s carrying. He didn’t disconnect it from the box. Coming back where the three are, he slides the head first over the hanging railing as support, wraps the flatten hose around his right forearm.
“Sylvester, what are you doing?” Carolyn shouted.
“Impressing you!” He shouted back. Rycroft looks down at the watery pit. He better not to hit something hard or is over for him. He’s been trained, and water is not his concern. Crouched slightly down, leaned forward and thrust himself in the air like a swim athlete. His fall followed the long white hose as trail with a splash. Whole group leaned down.
“He didn’t…” Carolyn muttered.
“Son of a bitch…” Snowdon softly said.
Rising from the surface, Sylvester thrust his four limbs through the water. Pushing away floating furnitures and bodies ahead. The swim wasn’t the most comfortable with everything sort of getting the way as Sylvester must pass over these unsettling obstacles of bodies. He made some quick inspections at some of the bodies. Trying to find the missing two. Nothing. Sylvester kept swimming until reaching the other side. Deck 6 is one inch flooded. Sylvester grabs the overhanging railing and climbs himself upwards. Meeting up to Deck 5 and stopping on to Deck 4. Sylvester peers his head up above to Deck 3 at the others.
He shouted. “I need some volunteers!” Automatically, Red leaps down to Sylvester. Jett curiously follow along. A sense of excitement was rising as this was the coolest thing his father has ever seen in action. The two meet up as Sylvester pulls the long hose from slack to firm, he then ties the hose all around the hanging railing. He’s instructs Jett and Red to hold tight.
Sylvester laughs in satisfactions. “Hey, Snowdon! Kershaw! I did the hard part!” He let out a heavy, “Woah! It’s cold.”
“Come on, Gwen!” Red shouted from afar.
“How are we…” Gwen tried to think.
“We’ll zip-line it.” Snowdon said. “I’ll go and get something useful.”
“Like a hanger?” Gwen suggested.
“Anything like that.” Snowdon then left.
Leaving the two lions. Kershaw spokes with sigh. “I knew this day will come.”
“I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Gwen said. “But…”
“What is it?”
Gwen chuckled. “You went in first and announced this cruise vacation and invited Red along. You really… I don’t know… Everything happened in a whim and I wanted to talk you about this but…”
Kershaw cut her off. “I’m not mad, honey. I should be apologizing from delaying your marriage announcement.”
“Now that this is happening, there’s no time to lose.”
Snowdon came back. He’s holding two shiny curved door handles. “Hate to interrupt your family reunion, but you both still want to cross?” He hands over one handle to Kershaw. “I hope you can carry her in a piggy back ride.” Kershaw nodded.
“Hey! Come on! What’s the hold up?” Red shouted.
Kershaw said to Gwen. “Ready, darling?”
“Yeah.” She wraps her arms behind around her father’s neck, then straddles her legs on his waist. “I’m ready.”
“Hold on tight.” Kershaw place the curved door handle on top the makeshift zip-line. “Ready! Here we go!” He thrust with both legs and both are flying. Gwen closed her eyes as Kershaw eyes at the end of the line. “Hang on, baby!”
The landing was cushioned by Sylvester. He stopped them from falling back. Letting go, Gwen rushed towards Red, giving him big embrace. “You okay?” Red asked.
“First time zip-lining. Never again.” Gwen stated. Both laughed.
From one deck up. Sasha said with enthusiasm, “That looks fun!”
“Maybe some other time, son.” His father said.
Snowdon followed in the clear. Last one to cross the giant well. Meeting up with the group. Gratitudes Sylvester, “Good work, Rycroft. You really have shown your seamanship.”
“I don’t get the name Lieutenant Rycroft for nothing!” He chuckled.
“Well, you done so well, so far. Can we keep on moving?” Kershaw said.
“Sure, this way up.” Said Sylvester. He gestured to climb up one deck up where the rest are waiting.
The Poseidon is suffering a lot pain. The sound of torture steel is rumbling, moaning and bellowing the insides somewhere on the ship. Her heart is wounded, but still pumping air pockets to feed the trapped ones.
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Chapter 10th: Atrium
The marching group of twenty-six moved forward ahead. Lani and Joyce have walked passed these areas before encountering with Snowdon’s party. Familiarized, the passengers and crew know that this wide corridor heads towards the larger public area of the Promenade Hall’s second level, which peers over the first level of Deck 2.
The area they are in, is roasted by a fiery flash fire. Sprinklers had soaked the place, stepping on puddles as they walk slowly. The faint smell of burnt material reaches their nostrils. It made Rico to blow out air sharply from his nose when it hit him. “Ugh…” Getting every smelly air he got inside his nostril out.
They all stopped, another black-and-yellow striped door. This wasn’t very familiar to appear for the passengers. The watertight door is fully closed automatically with a yellow flashing light signaling caution.
“Was this door closed?” Sylvester asked.
“Yes, we came from there. We can open it.” Miss Blake said.
Snowdon looks for the handles which was encased in a yellow box that said “Do not open. Watertight Doors Handle” in upside-down. Pulling the handle upwards, the doors made a heavy sound as it slides slowly open. “Wait till the doors are fully opened.” Snowdon ordered. Once wide opened, one-by-one passes in a orderly fashion. Snowdon saw all walked through and released the handle which the doors slowly slide back to close, enough for him to walk through it without worry.
“All accounted for?” He said.
“All accounted, Snowdon.” Sylvester said.
“Except for Malcolm.” Portia muttered.
For the curious like Sasha seeing the Promenade Hall, now standing on the new floor in front of cracked chandeliers, railings of the second level now hanging up on both sides, and marble tiles of the former floor of Deck 2 right above them. Surrounded of confetti, streamers and fallen intact balloons covered the bodies who had partied earlier. The lights are dimmed pretty dark, except the adjacent of the Grand Lobby forward, lights are much brighter than where they are. This is the place where Lani and Joyce were, surrounded with chaos of panicked people until disappearing from sight. No screams, no help, nor distresses around. It was silence that metaphors the large scale of catastrophe.
Walking about half of a football field, avoiding some debris and bodies, and finally stopping where there isn’t any safety railing. Standing a wide gap right between the two wider columns that posses the crystal elevators, the group sights the ominous looking upside-down world – the ship’s atrium. The first place where passengers boards the ship on the first day of embarkation. Sasha just wowed at the wrecked place while the others just speechless in their minds. The elegant twin staircases had been collapsed. Both sides of port and starboard are wrecked without a chance to walk around it. Below them was a well that once was the ceiling with an indoor glass dome that simulated the sky. It was gone, only water. It was murky, dirty with debris, and lapping near the ledges of the soon-to-be flooded deck. Above them was the statue of the ship’s namesake, still standing with its trident facing down with tiny drips of blood…
“Where are we going to start?” Russell said.
“I’ve only worked on this ship for a few days.” Lani said. “This is it.” She automatically pointed the now right side of the thick column. “There, that’s the wrecked bridge that I’d crossed.”
“The elevator’s tracks had been ripped.” Snowdon said.
“Are we going to cross it?” Stephanie asked.
The elevator on their right looks as if stuck almost one deck below them. Leaned heavily downwards with its shattered capsule glass, showing its “back” of closed glass doors with one of them cracked, but not shattered. The lifting vehicle took down its rail tracks with it. It swung directly right across the same deck. It might be responsible for destroying the twin staircases, with that, it shows a clearer path to go forward.
“Will it hold?” Carolyn concerned.
“I think it will hold; it’s solid steel.” Ryder the wolf said. He leaps with one step on the elevator and set himself on all-fours, a few creaks and groans from the elevator rumbled.
Kale startles what’s his boyfriend is going. “Ryder! What are you going? Get back here!”
Ryder didn’t stop and was already halfway on the twisted rollercoaster-like tracks. “It’s fine! We can cross this!”
“I never thought I would cross this again.” Lani said.
“Come on, Kale! Don’t let the others wait.” Ryder shouted.
“Coming…” Kale said. He realized he was closer on the elevator and the group almost huddle up closer his way. He cannot go back now. If he does, he will feel like a coward in front of everyone.
“Aren’t you going?” Snowdon said.
“Yeah… Sure.” He began on all-fours like Ryder did and follow along.
“Jett, Stephanie, you both ready?” Sylvester said. They both nodded.
“But, what about Sasha?” Stephanie said. “He’s too short to reach any of the tracks.”
“Don’t worry, Stephanie.” Mr. Parkinson said. “He’ll be riding on my back.”
Stephanie turns at Clover. “Can you do this?”
“Can’t believe we’re actually doing this.” Clover nervously said.
“We had actually went a more ruckus one earlier.” Jett said without any detail.
Kale fully crossed the bridge and met with Ryder the other side. Jett went in, followed by Stephanie and their mother. Snowdon asked Sylvester to stay by the elevator as base and carefully guide the others one by one as he carefully guide his wife behind with her kids.
“Don’t look down, honey.” Sylvester said.
“I won’t.” She assured and followed her children.
Floyd Archer leaned down curiously at the well as he picks a shiny flat bottle from his pocket with some goods. “Well, this is nice…” He opened the bottle cap and took a gulp.
Miss Blake saw this and said to him, “Mr. Archer, you better take it gentle with that.”
The hyena-man replied with, “You can have some if you want. It’s brandy – calms your nerves.”
“No… No, thank you.” The rabbit-woman said.
“I’ll have some.” Portia interrupted. The hyena didn’t mind and gave her some.
“Miss Mathews, you mustn’t. I don’t think it’s a good time for some liquor.” Said Miss Blake.
“I had enough problems after Malcolm was squashed to death by an elevator.” She spat.
“Mr. Robertson’s dead?” Miss Blake surprised. “I’m so sorry.”
Her dreadful stare, but still affected, was not of any sympathy. “Don’t mind about it.”
Rico was next to Snowdon near the edge, looking down more curious at the well; counting the numbers of decks above water. “Water had stopped right under Deck 6…”
Snowdon followed whatever he was stating. “Then soon the rest will follow up slowly.”
“Uh, I was just thinking about the shifted center-of-gravity, Mr. Snowdon. We’re upside down, the entire upper structure is flooded from 14 to 7; anchoring the hull where it is.”
“Makes sense much.”
“Once water rises, the ship will adapt the airless element which…” He pauses. “The ship can finally right itself up.”
“She’ll be at the bottom of the Pacific in no time.” He nonchalantly said.
“Those people in the ballroom, they wouldn’t know what hit them…” He quietly said. Only to Snowdon.
Jett, Stephanie and Carolyn crossed the other side. For Carolyn, looking down was nauseating. The ship is still showing signs of motions as she drifts. The giant pool of water is shown sloshing and reaching Deck 6’s ledges quietly with hardly any sound of rough splashing. Standing up safely the other side, Jett and Stephanie can tell how their mother cannot stands heights.
“Mom, are you okay?” Jett asked.
“I’m fine, son.” Carolyn assured. “I need to stay away from the edge.”
Kindly enough, Ryder fetched a thrown chair for Carolyn to seat. “Here, Mrs…
“Rycroft.” She introduced.
“Mrs. Rycroft, take some rest if you’re are dizzy.”
“Thank you…”
At the other side. “Are you ready, Mr. Parkinson?” Sylvester said.
The shepherd dog-man rubs his shoulder. “Yes… I’m ready.”
“Dad, are you hurt?” Sasha worried.
“I’m fine, son.”
Lionel Kershaw walked up behind him, “I remember seeing you protecting your back shoulder earlier at the ballroom. Please, excuse me.” He checks gently with his right hand until Joshua flinched at the touch.
“Hey! Easy!” Parkinson said.
“You’re going to have problems when carrying your son on your back. Let someone do it.” Lionel turns to Red. “Russell, think you can carry the boy?”
“But his leg is hurt?” Sasha pointed it up.
“I think it’s just a scratch.” Red said. “Come on, boy. On my back.”
Sasha obeyed, Red crouched down as Sasha climbs on his back. Wrapping around his neck firmly. The lion-man made one step down onto the elevator, crawling on fours slowly. Joshua follows next, Sylvester helps him climb one step down and he’ll do the rest. “Who’s next?” Sylvester asked.
“We’ll go.” Killian Maxwell said. Turns to his wife, “Can you manage?”
“Sure, I can do it. You’ll be behind me, will you?” Zoey said.
“Yes, I will.” He assured.
Red safely escorted Sasha to the other side. Joshua made it without difficulty. Now the Maxwells’ turn, Zoey went first as Killian crosses the wrecked bridge behind her. “Be careful, it feels slippery.” Said Maxwell.
“It feels very oily if you ask me.” She said. “This really feels like we had been taking forever.” Said Zoey.
“The sooner you get to the other side, the sooner we arrive at the bow.” Killian said.
“That’s easy to say. But this ship is bigger than I’ve imagined.”
“Miss Blake, why you don’t go next?” Snowdon said.
“But…what about.”
Archer stepped in. “Don’t worry about us, Miss. Go ahead.”
Aubrey then started. “You better cut that gown, Miss Blake. You could trip.”
“While these two are busy, I’ll just go ahead before the bear-man pushes me to cross.” Portia said and met with Sylvester to help her step carefully on the leaned down elevator. She had already torn off her dress to her knees.
“Glad that you’re cooperating.” Sylvester said.
Kershaw turns at his daughter. “Better go ahead. I’ll go last.”
Gwen said, “Alright, but, I want to say something, Dad.”
“You can save it for later.” He said. “Just not now.”
Joyce prepared, she crosses the bridge along with Aubrey after Portia crossed. Clover, Pricilla, Megan and Isaac catch up. Then Sidney helps Foxley along as Lani crosses it for the second time. As Rico cross this, Ryder shouted.
“Hey, Snowdon! You don’t mind if I look around where this corridor leads to?”
Rico reached the other side and then Snowdon shouted back. “That corridor leads forward to the theater. Wait till the rest of us!”
“Ryder, don’t go ahead from us.” Kale said.
“I thought I could buy more time.” Ryder said. “You know, clear up a path.”
Aubrey said to both. “Mr. Snowdon knows what he’s doing. We cannot be separated at any cost.” Portia scoffed behind her back.
“Gwen, are you ready?” Kershaw said.
“Sure…” But then Floyd went first and clumsily landed hard on the elevator. The black capsule shook a little with some rattling.
Sylvester picks him up. “Hey! Watch it!”
“Sorry…” Floyd recovers. Looking at Kershaw, he smiles. “Huh, big hero, right?” Pointing at him. “Rescued all those women and children from fires. Man, you got elected – you did well, but why quitting then? Couldn’t hack it? If what I recall correctly, you couldn’t even hang onto your wife.”
Kershaw had enough…
“Come on!” Arms spread for ready to fight with him.
Gwen grabbed her father by the wrist. “Dad, let him go. He’s just drunk. Okay?”
“I won’t feel a thing! Hit me! I’m like Houdini…” After a hiccup, “Alright, fine – couldn’t help it.”
Sylvester chuckles his drunk jokes before gesturing to pass him. “Come on, go ahead.”
“Assholes, both of you.” He continues moving through the tracks, using all fours with one hand still holding his flat bottle. Floyd is showing a lot of his movements rather slippery, making pass halfway, he slipped one foot and used both hands to recover, letting go the bottle. His sudden slip startled the group with gasps from the women and twitch jump scares by the men.
The hyena-man shouted. “Damnit!” The small flat bottle of brandy fell into the well with salted Pacific water. The splash wasn’t audible by the group, just a tiny sound almost as drip. He looked down when it disappeared from the murky water of bodies below. “That was my favorite bottle!”
Sylvester sighed. “What an idiot…” He stepped on the tracks to give him a hand. The tiger also saw the young human coming by to help. Isaac stepped ahead as Floyd was closer to them.
“Isaac come back!” Pricilla barked.
“I’m going to help him! Jeez.” He replied her. He moved much faster to reach the troubled the magician. “Come on, Archer.”
“Thank you, kid. I appreciate it.” Floyd said. “I’ll be fine, go ahead…”
BANG!!!
“Who the hell is shooting at us?”
Everyone looked up. Another loud bang and then a snap. It sounded close when Snowdon look up the base of the statue. One bolt popping at the time.
Snowdon screamed. “Get outta there!!!”
Pricilla screamed Isaac’s name and begged to come back. She attempted to go get him but was held by Megan away. Sylvester, Isaac, and Floyd – almost in the middle of the tracks – saw the statue making noises. They went what could they go. Sylvester moves towards back with Snowdon and Kershaw as Isaac and Floyd made their way with the rest. Trying not to look back and cross away from danger.
It was swift, the tracks got caught and buckle down into the abyss. Poseidon fell into one piece, falling head first into the water. A giant geyser roars high up to the former floor. Billions of drips fall back down. A huge jerk rattled the entire atrium; the statue impacting the bottom of the former ceiling where the dome was. The pool of water continues making waves as the everything clears up in seconds.
The elevator’s track was gone. The group tried to refresh what just happened. They see Sylvester hanging on the edge. The elevator was spared but leaned further downward.
Carolyn screamed. “Sylvester!”
Her children shouted along. “Dad!”
“Where’s Isaac?” Clover softly said.
“Archer?” Miss Blake wondered.
“Holy crap! Karma did it again!” Portia cried.
Pricilla screamed; she saw everything. Isaac making it back until the tracks went down with him. Disappearing out of nowhere. She approached the edge and peered down screaming for, “ISAAC!” The beagle-girl kneeled, falling apart mentally as she sobs in agony. Megan picks her up away from the edge. She already knows how she felt when she found Spencer crushed with the girder. All she could do was to comfort her best friend.
Clover just stood there, not at her cousin, the well. Trying not to look down and admitting the consequence in her conscience. “He’s dead.” She softly said.
Snowdon and Kershaw reached down to Rycroft. “Hang on!” The bear-man said. Each both grabbed a hand and pulled the tiger-man in. The four remaining were cut off from reaching anywhere to the other side. Gwen just couldn’t help it and realized she may have delayed her turn for a small reason. The three beast-men exasperated.
Shouting at the others that they are okay. Kershaw said, “Well, we better go back and find another way up.”
“Go back?” Snowdon said. “We just came all the way from there. I’m not leaving the others behind. You go that way, you die.”
“We didn’t look through every other corridor. We must go back!”
“You do what you want. We’re getting across!”
“If you got a better idea, I’m all ears…
“No, Kershaw, I don’t have another way, but we’re getting across!”
“You get stuck here, you die!” Kershaw turns to Gwen. “We’re going. Let’s go!”
“Dad, no.” Gwen cried. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“What?”
She glanced at Snowdon, “Snowdon, can you get me across?”
“Gwen, darling, listen…”
“No! I haven’t been in a long time, Dad!” She rummages through her pockets in her jeans and got what she wanted to tell so bad. A ring. She exhaled, facing her father. “Red asked me to marry him.”
“Gwen…” Lionel Kershaw was speechless.
“I love him. I need to find a way to go with him.”
“Gwen, please, you need to listen to me for a second.”
“I’m not going back, Dad.”
“You better listen to your daughter, Kershaw. We’re going to cross.” Sylvester said. He left away from them in a whim.
“Rycroft, where are you going?” Snowdon wondered.
“Thinking!” He shouted. Finding a red box fixed on the wall near by. He opens it up, a rolled-up fire hose well equipped. Picking up the whole of it, Carolyn is being observing her husband’s movements and wonders for the fire hose he’s carrying. He didn’t disconnect it from the box. Coming back where the three are, he slides the head first over the hanging railing as support, wraps the flatten hose around his right forearm.
“Sylvester, what are you doing?” Carolyn shouted.
“Impressing you!” He shouted back. Rycroft looks down at the watery pit. He better not to hit something hard or is over for him. He’s been trained, and water is not his concern. Crouched slightly down, leaned forward and thrust himself in the air like a swim athlete. His fall followed the long white hose as trail with a splash. Whole group leaned down.
“He didn’t…” Carolyn muttered.
“Son of a bitch…” Snowdon softly said.
Rising from the surface, Sylvester thrust his four limbs through the water. Pushing away floating furnitures and bodies ahead. The swim wasn’t the most comfortable with everything sort of getting the way as Sylvester must pass over these unsettling obstacles of bodies. He made some quick inspections at some of the bodies. Trying to find the missing two. Nothing. Sylvester kept swimming until reaching the other side. Deck 6 is one inch flooded. Sylvester grabs the overhanging railing and climbs himself upwards. Meeting up to Deck 5 and stopping on to Deck 4. Sylvester peers his head up above to Deck 3 at the others.
He shouted. “I need some volunteers!” Automatically, Red leaps down to Sylvester. Jett curiously follow along. A sense of excitement was rising as this was the coolest thing his father has ever seen in action. The two meet up as Sylvester pulls the long hose from slack to firm, he then ties the hose all around the hanging railing. He’s instructs Jett and Red to hold tight.
Sylvester laughs in satisfactions. “Hey, Snowdon! Kershaw! I did the hard part!” He let out a heavy, “Woah! It’s cold.”
“Come on, Gwen!” Red shouted from afar.
“How are we…” Gwen tried to think.
“We’ll zip-line it.” Snowdon said. “I’ll go and get something useful.”
“Like a hanger?” Gwen suggested.
“Anything like that.” Snowdon then left.
Leaving the two lions. Kershaw spokes with sigh. “I knew this day will come.”
“I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Gwen said. “But…”
“What is it?”
Gwen chuckled. “You went in first and announced this cruise vacation and invited Red along. You really… I don’t know… Everything happened in a whim and I wanted to talk you about this but…”
Kershaw cut her off. “I’m not mad, honey. I should be apologizing from delaying your marriage announcement.”
“Now that this is happening, there’s no time to lose.”
Snowdon came back. He’s holding two shiny curved door handles. “Hate to interrupt your family reunion, but you both still want to cross?” He hands over one handle to Kershaw. “I hope you can carry her in a piggy back ride.” Kershaw nodded.
“Hey! Come on! What’s the hold up?” Red shouted.
Kershaw said to Gwen. “Ready, darling?”
“Yeah.” She wraps her arms behind around her father’s neck, then straddles her legs on his waist. “I’m ready.”
“Hold on tight.” Kershaw place the curved door handle on top the makeshift zip-line. “Ready! Here we go!” He thrust with both legs and both are flying. Gwen closed her eyes as Kershaw eyes at the end of the line. “Hang on, baby!”
The landing was cushioned by Sylvester. He stopped them from falling back. Letting go, Gwen rushed towards Red, giving him big embrace. “You okay?” Red asked.
“First time zip-lining. Never again.” Gwen stated. Both laughed.
From one deck up. Sasha said with enthusiasm, “That looks fun!”
“Maybe some other time, son.” His father said.
Snowdon followed in the clear. Last one to cross the giant well. Meeting up with the group. Gratitudes Sylvester, “Good work, Rycroft. You really have shown your seamanship.”
“I don’t get the name Lieutenant Rycroft for nothing!” He chuckled.
“Well, you done so well, so far. Can we keep on moving?” Kershaw said.
“Sure, this way up.” Said Sylvester. He gestured to climb up one deck up where the rest are waiting.
The Poseidon is suffering a lot pain. The sound of torture steel is rumbling, moaning and bellowing the insides somewhere on the ship. Her heart is wounded, but still pumping air pockets to feed the trapped ones.
Chapter 10th of fanfic Ship Wave.
Category Story / All
Species Unspecified / Any
Gender Any
Size 120 x 90px
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