The safety valve that was in place to prevent backflow of oil within the pipe held up and thus prevented an even worse catastrophe. The prompt response of the fire safety team almost certainly saved lives.
Andy placed the report in the filing cabinet near his desk and shook his head.
“Such a waste,” he murmured.
On the morning of November 14th, a pounding on the door of Andy’s room awakened him. He rose from bed and opened the door. Royce was standing in the hallway; his face was pale.
"Becker's dead," he said.
"What?" Andy asked. "You're kidding!"
"I'm not man. Doctor Kulik went to check on him this morning and he was dead. I heard he had bled out all over his room," he whispered the last part.
"What?"
"I know! That doesn't sound like the flu to me."
"He's really dead?" Andy asked.
"Yes!"
Suddenly the loudspeaker in the hallway crackled.
"All able-bodied crew report to the galley for a briefing on OIM Carl Becker," the voice crackled through the speaker.
Andy dressed quickly and followed Royce down to the galley. By the time they arrived, it was packed. Carlos, Mitch, Dale, Sterling and Merle stood in the front of the room, grim expressions on their faces.
After a few minutes, Carlos stepped forward and motioned for silence. He cleared his throat. "As you all may have heard, OIM Carl Becker was ill with flu-like symptoms for more than a week. This morning at Six-Hundred hours, Doctor Dan Kulik went to his room to check on him. When he entered the room, he found Mr. Becker had passed away at some point in the night."
The room filled with audible murmurs as the crew expressed their shock.
"Now, I know we are all confused by this tragic turn of events. We will be having a memorial service for Carl this evening, as soon as the medical staff has determined the cause of death. If you have been in contact with Carl since he became ill, we ask that you would go to the Infirmary following this meeting as you may have been exposed to his illness. Finally, as per company policy and maritime standards, I am now the acting OIM. That would naturally make Mitch the new OTL and Dale the new Second Officer, but we will need to await confirmation from Operations before we can issue the promotions," he said. "If you have any questions, feel free to come see me."
The murmurs faded to stunned silence. Some crewmembers visibly wept; others sat completely still. Nevertheless, everyone on board the Bald Point platform was shaken by this turn of events.
Royce and Andy walked upstairs to the Officers' Quarters to see if Doctor Kulik was still attending to Becker. As they walked down the hallway Andy heard a woman's horrified scream come from the direction of Becker's room.
He looked at Royce and they sprinted down the hall toward the commotion. When they arrived on the scene Andy saw Doctor Claire Maclin standing near the door with her hands on the sides of her head. She shrieked again. In front of her, Carl Becker was attacking Doctor Kulik.
"What's going on here?" Andy asked as Royce stood beside him in disbelief.
"He- he attacked Dan when Dan was taking his measurements! I- we thought he was dead!" she screamed.
"Dan! Carl! Stop!" Andy yelled, shoving past her into the large room. Blood pooled on the carpet. He realized Dan was bleeding profusely from his wrist. Andy ran to Carl and wrapped his arms around the older man’s torso. He jerked backwards and heaved Becker off of Doctor Kulik.
The old man growled at Andy and batted his hands at him. He felt ice cold and his skin possessed the pallor of a dead man. He growled again and struggled.
"Carl! Carl! Stop! What are you doing?" Andy pleaded as the OIM tried to turn around to face him.
"Doctor Kulik!" Doctor Maclin yelled. "Are you okay?"
Doctor Kulik coughed. "He bit me! The OIM bit me!"
Carl bleated loudly and started to kick his legs. He didn't seem to be breathing. Andy felt something wet and cold slide over his forearm.
"Andy! Let go of him and run!" Andy heard Royce yell over the commotion.
"Why? He's a danger to Doctor Kulik! Get them out of here!" he yelled back.
"Andy! His intestines are dangling over your arm!" Royce yelled.
With a grunt Andy lifted the old man and turned him so that he was facing away from the door. Carl bleated again and growled, arms flailing about over his head.
"The doctors are out! Come on man!" Royce yelled.
Andy threw Carl against the wall, face first, and jumped backwards. The man spun around and hissed at him. He saw that Becker’s abdomen had been sliced open and his viscera were spilling out. The old man reached for him and staggered forward.
Andy ran backwards and jerked the door shut as he exited the room. Doctor Kulik clutched his arm as Doctor Maclin cried.
"What just happened in there?" Royce asked.
"I don't know!" Andy exclaimed.
"Becker, he's- he's- this shouldn't be possible," Kulik gasped.
"Why?" Andy asked.
"He's dead."
"Uh Doctor Kulik? Dead men don't move and bite folks," Royce said.
The door shook and Andy heard Becker growl behind it. He heard clawing at the door.
"How sturdy is this door?" Andy asked.
"Pretty sturdy actually," he heard a voice from behind. Andy turned his head and saw Tyrell Cook and Robbie McBride, both of whom were security guards.
"Tyrell! Robbie! Thank heavens you guys showed up!" Royce exclaimed.
"You want to tell me why you are all standing outside our deceased OIM's room?" Tyrell asked. "What's going on? Why is your arm bloody Andrew? What happened to Kulik?"
Becker scratched at the door from inside again.
"And who is in the OIM's quarters?"
"Becker! Carl Becker is!" Claire shouted.
"Step aside," Tyrell instructed.
"Officer Cook, Carl bit me. He's going to bite you too if you open that door!" Doctor Kulik yelled.
"Step aside Andrew. I don't want to have to make you step aside," Tyrell repeated.
"Okay," Andy said. He stepped aside as Tyrell and Robbie readied their batons.
Robbie turned the knob and pushed. The door wouldn't open.
"Something’s leaning against the door!" he exclaimed, pushing against it.
Becker growled and suddenly the door flew open. Robbie almost fell into Becker's bloody arms.
The security man gasped as Becker lunged at him. He instinctively swung his baton upward into the pallid man's chin. With a sickening crack, the nightstick made contact with Carl's jaw and he staggered backwards away from the door into the bed.
"Sir! I'm so sorry!" Robbie yelled as Tyrell gasped.
"He's alive?" the Security Chief cried out.
"Look at him!" Royce yelled. "Whatever he is he needs to be barricaded in his room!"
Robbie nodded quickly as Becker sat up and growled at them. He had pieces of bloody skin stuck between his teeth. His eyes were bloodshot and possessed a lifeless gaze.
"Close the door!" Andy yelled as Becker labored to stand up.
"Close the door!" Doctors Maclin and Kulik yelled.
"Close the door Robbie!" Tyrell yelled as Becker lurched toward the open doorway.
Robbie snapped out of his trance and yanked the door shut. The door thumped as Carl walked into the door. The dead man let out a frustrated shriek.
"What- what was wrong with Carl?" Tyrell demanded.
"I don't know sir," Robbie replied. "He- he- I had to hit him!"
"I know that Robbie. He was far more aggressive than the grievous wounds he had would warrant," Tyrell said.
"I checked! I checked his vitals!" Kulik yelled. "He definitely did not have a pulse and he definitely was not breathing! Please remember, I am a doctor!"
"Dan," Andy said. "There's no way! How would a dead man attack you and try to attack us?"
"How would a living man be able to attack us while his intestines are hanging out?" Royce asked.
"D
id Captain Becker ever seem like he had a problem with drug abuse?" Tyrell asked.
"What?" Andy asked. "That's preposterous!"
"You know, this does sound like what them bath salts do," Robbie said suddenly. "I mean folks have become monstrously violent while under their influence and have even wounded themselves while on them. One guy I read about even took a knife and cut his own face off. Doctor Kulik, did you or Doctor Maclin cut his belly open?"
"No," Kulik replied.
"Then how did that happen? And really, it sounded like I broke his jaw when I hit him. Shouldn't that have knocked him down and put him in intense agony?" Robbie asked.
"That's a good point Robbie," Tyrell said. "Here's the deal. We need to file an incident report. But, we also need to monitor him. I can lock that door, and it should hold against him. However, we want to wait for him to come down from whatever he took."
"If he's alive you realize he may succumb to his injuries if we leave him alone, right?" Claire asked.
"Claire, that's a risk we'll have to take I think," Kulik said. He shook his head. “He’s dead. I think he already succumbed to whatever he had.”
"Alright, Robbie, you stay here. No one gets into that room unless it's me, you or a doctor. We will check on him in an hour. Doctor Kulik, please go to the Infirmary. That bite on your forearm looks nasty!" Tyrell said. "And you two," he pointed at Andy and Royce, "don't tell anyone about this until we know what's going on, got it?"
Andy nodded. Royce did too.
"Alright, now get out of here. And take a shower Gibson! Get that bloody mess off your arm!"
Around midnight, the Maintenance Supervisor Scott Maniczewski ran into the galley where Milo and Andy were sitting eating dinner. His face was flushed.
"Somebody! Come quick! Doctor Kulik killed Doctor Maclin!" he yelled.
Andy jumped up and several of the crew followed him to the Infirmary where Doctor Maclin lay face down in a pool of blood. Doctor Kulik crouched in the corner eating something from his hands.
"Doctor Maclin!" Andy yelled. "Doctor Kulik!"
Kulik looked up at him and growled, baring bloody teeth. His white shirt was blood-soaked. He appeared to have numerous scratches on his pale face. His face was the same shade of greenish white that Becker's had been. He growled again and resumed eating the bloody mass clutched in his hands.
Scott pushed past Andy and bent over Claire.
"Claire?" he asked. He put his hand on her shoulder and shook her. She didn't move. He turned her onto her side and immediately turned away, vomiting.
"Kulik!" Andy heard Tyrell yell. He too shoved past Andy and looked down at Claire. "What happened?" he yelled.
"Her face," Scott said weakly. "It's...gone."
"Dan! Stand up with your hands in the air!" Tyrell yelled, pulling his Taser out and aiming it at the bloody man.
Kulik tilted his head and growled.
"Drop what's in your hands!" Tyrell yelled.
Kulik shrank into the corner, muttering something as he went.
"This is your last warning! Stand up with your hands in the air or I will fire!" Tyrell yelled.
Kulik growled.
Tyrell adjusted his aim and fired. The cartridge activated and two electrodes embedded themselves in the mad doctor's cheek. He didn't flinch as the barbs pierced his skin. As the current began to arc over the wires to him, he jerked and dropped the crimson mass he had been clutching. He stood up and staggered forward two steps before falling face down on the floor twitching.
Andy heard gasps and turned to see a number of the crew gathered behind him watching the horrifying spectacle. He turned back around and saw Tyrell approaching Kulik. He gasped as the bloody man forced himself up into a sitting position. He growled at Tyrell again.
"Dan! What happened?" Tyrell asked.
Kulik stood up and lunged at Tyrell. The security guard leapt backward out of his reach.
"Dan! If you don't stop, I will be forced to escalate my use of force! Do you understand?"
Someone vomited behind Andy.
The doctor staggered toward Tyrell. Tyrell removed his pistol from its holster. He leveled it at Kulik.
"Dan! Stop now or I will shoot with deadly force! Stop!" Tyrell yelled.
Kulik growled and lunged at Tyrell again.
Bang!
The doctor fell at the security guard's feet. At last he was still.
"What is going on here?" someone yelled. Andy turned and saw Sterling and Doctor Shah standing in the doorway of the Infirmary.
"Claire! Dan!" Shah cried out, running into the room.
"Doctor Kulik attacked Doctor Maclin," Scott said from a sitting position near Claire. "He ripped her face off and ate it."
"What?" Sterling asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, Tyrell shot him to death because he was trying to attack him," Andy said.
"Alright, everyone but Scott, Andy, Doctor Shah and Tyrell back to your rooms now!" Sterling yelled angrily.
The crowd dispersed quickly. Sterling sighed loudly.
"What is going on? Can somebody please explain it to me?" he demanded.
"Doctor Kulik attacked and killed Doctor Maclin," Tyrell said. "And then when I happened on to the scene he attacked me. I had to use lethal force to stop him."
Sterling looked at Andy. "Really?" he asked.
Andy nodded.
"Why would Doctor Kulik become violent?" he demanded.
Tyrell shrugged. "He was attacked by Becker earlier and bitten."
"Wait, did you just say he was attacked by OIM Carl Becker, who is dead?" Sterling asked.
Tyrell nodded.
"Why didn't anybody tell me about this? You aren't making any sense. Why would Carl attack Dan? And for that matter, how could he? He's dead!" Sterling exclaimed.
"See for yourself sir," Andy said.
Sterling looked at Scott who was crying now. "Scott, Scott! Pull yourself together! I need you to help Doctor Shah get this room cleaned up! If you need to grab some lease hands to help, do it. Follow Doctor Shah's orders."
Scott nodded.
"Tyrell, take me to Becker's room. I demand to know what's going on!" Sterling said.
Chapter Eight
Randy Eccleston
Day 2
Around midnight Randy was awakened by a scratching noise at the front door. He sat up in the darkened living room and looked around. What was that?
He slowly stood up as the scratching continued. He crept over to the front door and peered out the peephole. In the dim moonlight he could just barely make out the shape of a woman standing on the front porch. She was clawing at the front door and growling softly. Suddenly she staggered backwards and bent over. He heard retching and splashing sounds; she was vomiting.
He stepped back from the door and felt a hand on his shoulder.
He spun around, night stick raised, and saw Adam.
His friend threw his hands up. "Hey, sorry!" he whispered. "What's that noise out there?"
"An infected woman," Randy whispered. "She's throwing up right now."
"What should we do?"
He shrugged. "I guess I could run out there and subdue her, but I don't know how many others there are, and I'm not sure she's homicidal. She looked curious and tired."
"Maybe she'll go away?" Adam asked.
"I hope so."
"How contagious do you think that disease is?"
Randy shrugged. "I hope it's not airborne. I mean, with all of the blood and stuff, if it is contagious I'd imagine it is bloodborne."
Adam nodded. "You work in a blood bank, I guess you'd be knowledgeable about that kind of stuff."
He shrugged. "I guess. I don't know. Just don't come in direct contact with any of their body fluids. Besides, we should keep our distance anyway."
"Hey, the scratching finally stopped."
Randy turned and looked out the peephole and saw the woman shuffling away. He nodded at Adam.
"I guess one of us should stay up to keep wat
ch," his friend said.
He nodded. "I'll do it."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I'll do it."
"Alright, good night Randy."
"Good night Adam."
It began to rain around 2:30am. As Randy sat on the couch staring out the window at the yard, he began to think about his brother Todd. He wondered how he was.
Todd was three years older. He and Randy had been pretty close in their childhood. He had gone off to Rutgers University after high school and had obtained a business degree. With that, he managed to start up a successful microbrewery in Chicago where he later settled down and married a woman named Vicki.
Randy, on the other hand, had gone to Northwestern University near their parents' home. With that thought, Randy wondered about his parents and whether they were okay. He thought about their house in Lake Forest, north of Chicago. So many memories.
He shook his head. He didn't know if he would ever see his parents or his brother ever again. He sighed. Though he didn't know, he would try to find them.
Chapter Nine
Adam Doss
Day 2
"Hey Adam, wake up sleepyhead!" Jillian laughed playfully.
Adam opened his eyes and sat up. They were in a bedroom at Casey's house. He looked at the walls that had been illuminated by the morning sunlight. Numerous posters for different metal bands hung all over the room. He chuckled at some of the band names.
"God Fodder," he said, laughing.
"You think that's a good one?" Jillian asked, laughing. "How about Sewageface?"
He laughed. "That is a good one but I think Skeletonwitch is better. How long you been up?"
"I don't know, maybe a half hour," she replied, smiling.
He and Jillian had been dating for six years. They had begun dating in college at Northwestern University. Her red hair shone dazzlingly in the morning sun.
"What, do I have something on my face?" she asked.
"No, I just think you're pretty is all," he replied kissing her.
"Alright love birds, we're going to get going in a little while," Casey said as he walked by the bedroom.
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