Sedulity (Book One) Impact

by David Forsyth

  The traditional chart table had a map of the Southern Pacific posted on it. Although most of the actual navigation was now conducted on computers at the work stations, the Captain still liked to be able to see the ship’s position and course charted on paper too. He led the group to the table and swept his hand above it.

  “Our next decision is crucial. We must decide where to sail the ship next. Our options are somewhat limited and will probably decrease further as we learn how many ports will be destroyed by the tsunamis. A few minutes ago we learned that the waves have arrived in northern Australia and the scattered reports make it sound every bit as bad as we feared. Brisbane has been hit hard and the waves will arrive in Sydney any time now. As you all know, Sydney was our intended destination. However, I seriously doubt there will much left of that port, or the city for that matter.”

  The Captain ran his finger down the map, tracing the east coast of Australia, before continuing. “This whole coastline is doomed. I’m sure the capital of Canberra is far enough inland to be unharmed, but there won’t be any ports or coastal facilities close by. I’m considering making a try for Melbourne. As you can see, it’s down on the southern shore of the continent and might be sheltered from the tsunamis coming down from the north. I’d like your opinions on that, gentlemen.”

  Kevin deferred to Professor Farnsworth who leaned in for a closer look at the map before saying, “Yes, Melbourne is on the other side of a promontory, which will block and deflect most of the initial tsunami. However, the island of Tasmania is shaped in such a way that it could easily reflect much of the wave right back up into this gulf where Melbourne is situated. If that happens, even with diminished wave force, the topography of this bay will refocus the tsunami. It might be even worse for Melbourne than Sydney.” Kevin nodded agreement with the old man while the Captain cursed under his breath.

  “Well, we don’t have to decide quite yet, until we know the full effects of the wave damage,” Captain Krystos said. “However, once we do choose a destination we will be committed. This was a long cruise and we don’t have enough fuel to go searching the whole ocean for a port. We can continue on towards Australia and have enough fuel left to circle the continent once. Perth or Darwin might be less effected, but I doubt we could acquire enough fuel at either of those ports to make another voyage.” His finger jabbed at two ports on the western side of the continent before his hand moved to wave at the rest of the map.

  “On the other hand, we still have enough fuel to turn back for Hawaii or even California, or turn west towards Asia or the Indian Ocean. I’ll have to do some computations, but we might even have enough fuel to make it to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. I can’t imagine these waves doing significant damage there. In any event, our scheduled destination will almost certainly be destroyed, so we need to decide on an alternate objective. And once we commit to a particular direction there will be no turning back.”

  “Sir,” Kevin spoke up. “Since most of the passengers are American, I think they would vote to turn for home. The problem is that we may have just as hard a time finding an intact port on the West Coast of America too. I suppose it all depends on what we learn in the next day or two. As you said, we may not have many choices by the time these waves and earthquakes play out.”

  “Agreed,” the Captain said. “I just wanted to bring the subject up for all of us to think about. Our choice of destination may indeed become our final destination, if there is no fuel for the ship there, so we need to consider every option carefully before committing ourselves to a particular course.”

  What the Captain said made a lot of sense to Kevin. It also got him thinking about longer term concerns, beyond simply reaching an intact port. His greatest fear in the wake of the initial catastrophe was the potential for drastic climate change. Kevin didn’t say anything about it at the moment, but knew that he must take that into account when making his final recommendation for a destination.

  “Alright,” the Captain continued after everyone had nodded in understanding. “For the moment, since fireballs have stopped falling from the sky, we are still traveling at low speed towards the site of the asteroid impact. I suspect that we are the closest ship to survive the event. As such we may be able to make some important observations and reports, especially regarding the weather conditions that Mr. Summers has predicted. Does anyone foresee any significant dangers to approaching the impact zone?”

  “I wouldn’t recommend getting too close, especially before sunrise,” Kevin said. “I’m not sure how large the crater is, but I’m willing to bet it’s still throwing up a column of superheated steam that could be miles wide. That’s what’s creating all this rain and cloud cover.”

  “Yes,” Professor Farnsworth agreed. “The impact crater will be converting water to steam for days, perhaps weeks, and the ocean will keep rushing in to fill the void. As you approach the impact zone you will want to keep close track of the water temperature and currents. That will certainly be valuable information for any scientist attempting to model the long term impact on the climate and the oceans. Of course we don’t want the ship to get blasted by steam, or be sucked into a whirlpool, and there is no telling what further volcanic activity could be triggered by the impact. So discretion is still the better part of valor.”

  “Dully noted,” the Captain said. “If there is nothing further, I’ll get back to the job of getting the ship back in order. I’ve asked my wife to monitor the news and inform me when the American President makes his appearance, or other critical news is released. I understand the waves will reach Hawaii in another hour. They should hit Indonesia and the Philippines even sooner. I know that will directly affect the families of many of the ship’s crew. I’m not sure how much to tell the passengers and crew about what is happening, or when to tell them, but they will find out sooner or later. We’ll need to give that some serious thought too. Keeping order aboard the ship will be a major concern.”

  ****

  Chapter 15:

  The tsunamis swept down the eastern coast of Australia with devastating impact. Within a few miles of the coast the water depth decreased from 2,000 feet to less than 200 along the continental shelf. Even after spreading out over thousands of miles of ocean the waves piled up on that shelf and grew to heights exceeding 1,500 feet, slowing from over 300 miles per hour to less than 50 mph as energy converted from speed to height. Since the coast faced east and the waves approached from the north-east, the tsunami formed a continuous line of monster swells that tore down the coastline like a gigantic line of surf, sweeping all signs of human occupation into oblivion.

  When the tsunami approached the mouth of Sydney Harbor it flowed over the town of Manly like it wasn’t even there, after which it truly wasn’t, and broke over the protective hills of Queenscliff and North Head without pause. The waves thundered into Sydney Harbor as a wall of whitewater that dwarfed the Opera House before flattening it and ripping the picturesque Sydney Harbour Bridge to shreds. The water swept through the city in a literal sense, sweeping everything off the streets and bringing down many of even the tallest buildings. Although an evacuation had been ordered more than an hour previously, it was the middle of the night and there hadn’t been time for more than a small fraction of the city’s residents to escape. The roads were jammed with vehicles full of people attempting to flee when the waves washed them all away.

  The water that came ashore in Sydney didn’t stop there. Some of it gushed over the city and parks to flood Botany Bay, but most of it rushed inland, following the river and lowlands until it finally spent its force against the Great Dividing Range of mountains, more than twenty miles inland. There in the foothills it deposited massive debris fields composed of twisted and deformed pieces of buildings, vehicles, human bodies and their former possessions which told of the fall of a great city. In a strange twist of fate the tsunami left a fully intact passenger ferry perched on a hillside fifteen miles inland. Her frantic crew, who had been trying to es
cape the harbor before the waves arrived, were some of the only people to witness the destruction of Sydney and survive to tell the tale.

  ****

  Lieutenant Reiner was close to losing control of the crowd in the theater when the projection screen lowered from the ceiling and the lights dimmed slightly. He took that as a sign that the plan to show these people the news was going to work. He broke off his argument with several people who were demanding to be allowed to return to their staterooms and suites, walking swiftly to the stage to address his captive audience.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” he called out. “Please be seated. We are attempting to access a satellite news channel and provide you with more information on the current situation. By now I am sure that the rest of the world is aware of what has happened out here in the ocean. I’m just as anxious as you are to know what it all means. So please be patient a few moments longer, as we work to bring you more news.”

  This mollifies the crowd who turn expectantly towards the descending projection screen. Reiner nods in satisfaction and walks swiftly to the control booth where the Cruise Director is busy working the controls. “What have you got?” Reiner asks as he enters.

  “GNN is the only news channel active on the satellite system,” she replies. “Maybe we should show them HBO or the Discovery Channel instead. It doesn’t look like good news on GNN.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They are talking about earthquakes and tidal waves. I’m not sure that would improve the mood of the passengers.”

  “Put it on!” Reiner almost yelled. He had also been kept in the dark about most of what was happening, aside from witnessing the asteroid strike, the blast wave, the fire, the flooding, all of it from the perspective of the ship. Was this event really having even worse effects on the world at large? If so, he wanted access to that information as much as anyone. “We need to know,” he said in a calmer voice. “Everyone needs to know.”

  ****

  Armando and Hank had left the casino and continued forward when Hank mentioned all the passengers gathered in the theater. Armando wanted to see them, if only to reassure himself that there were still unharmed people aboard. What he had seen in the rest of the ship was less than encouraging. Every public space he had been, from the Sky Lounge to the Resort Deck to the Med Center to the Martini Bar and Casino had been scenes of disaster. Even the Bridge had shown signs of fire and flooding. What he had glimpsed of staterooms, through doors blasted open by fire, water, or flaming rocks, had been equally discouraging. To see a thousand or more healthy passengers and crew would help Armando retain faith and hope in the face of despair.

  Hank Donner was also eager to return to the theater. After his ill-conceived exit and distressing reconnoiter of the ship, he was looking forward to reclaiming his seat in the First Class section and telling his fellow passengers how lucky they were to be sitting in the theater. He had seen enough destruction, death and suffering in the other public areas to know that staying in the theater wasn’t such a bad idea at the moment. Saying so might even earn him some points with the officer he had insulted and ignored. Hank was feeling a bit embarrassed by his earlier behavior and hoped that the Filipino bartender would vouch for his efforts to help other survivors.

  When Armando and Frank entered the theater a large video screen had just come to life displaying a Breaking News Alert screen with the GNN logo. Framed inside the masthead and news ticker was an aerial view of city that appeared to be burning and in disarray. The commentator was speaking, but it took a few moments for his words to sink in.

  “…from the GNN helicopter over Los Angeles. The Great California earthquake, now classified as 9.1 on the Richter scale, has caused widespread damage and loss of life. The event was strongest in Southern California, affecting population centers from San Diego to Santa Barbara, but we also have reports of major damage in the San Francisco Bay Area, including damage to the Golden Gate Bridge and portions of the Bay Bridge. It appears the entire San Andres Fault has shifted.

  “The freeway system in Los Angeles is crippled and all utilities have failed. This is expected to severely impede the evacuation of coastal areas in advance of the impending tsunamis.”

  Armando and Hank stood frozen in the aisle, surrounded by stunned utterances of the other passengers seated around them. The scene on screen continued to pan across the sprawling expanse of Los Angeles, revealing hundreds of structure fires, massive traffic jams, broken highways and crumbled buildings. The televised picture zoomed in on what appeared to have been a high rise hotel or condominium that had toppled over, crushing dozens of smaller buildings beneath it and blocking several major intersections.

  The scene then cut to another aerial view. This one was an evening shot of what looked like Waikiki Beach in Hawaii. It panned over the string of beachfront hotels to show thousands of people lining the streets outside, waiting to board a line of buses crawling slowly through snarled traffic.

  “The evacuation of coastal residents in Hawaii has been in progress for over an hour and residents of many smaller communities have already made it to high ground. In Honolulu, however, the transportation system is hard pressed to evacuate everyone in time. Buses are taking tourists out of the city and the military has been mobilized to assist and keep evacuation routes open. Officials are uncertain of how far inland, or what elevations, will be safe from the massive tsunamis expected to hit Hawaii.”

  The picture cut again to show a news anchor sitting in a studio with a worried expression as he read the unthinkable news flowing across his teleprompter. A new alert was scrolling across the bottom of the screen now, displaying a growing list of major earthquakes.

  “We are now receiving reports of additional earthquakes in Alaska and Japan, as well as volcanic activity in the state of Washington where an earthquake has already hit the area surrounding Mount Rainer, causing moderate damage in downtown Seattle. Numerous scientists have issued warnings in the past hour predicting more seismic and volcanic activity around the Pacific Rim.

  “For any of you just joining us, all of these disastrous events are being linked to an asteroid strike in the Central Pacific Ocean which occurred several hours ago. We are expecting additional updates from the US government, including a Presidential Address from the White House shortly. A Level One Tsunami Alert has been issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii calling for the evacuation of all coastlines along the entire Pacific Rim. The warning advises all coastal inhabitants to evacuate to high ground, preferably at least ten miles inland, or twenty-five hundred feet above sea level. We have been getting some alarming reports from several islands in the South Pacific and ships at sea of waves that are hundreds of feet high. Most of these reports have been difficult to confirm, however, as contact has been lost with many of the witnesses after their initial reports.”

  The announcer paused before reading a new bulletin and his face showed clear distress. Voices began to buzz in the theater as the passengers grasped what was happening. A few scattered shrieks began to erupt around the room, but the general mood was one of shock and disbelief. Many people were shaking their heads in denial or burying their faces in their hands. Couples clung to each other for support and comfort. Armando and Hank remained transfixed in the aisle while the news continued to unfold.

  “We have just received confirmed reports from Australian news agencies that massive tsunami waves have indeed struck the northern and eastern coasts of that continent with devastating results. They are describing the damage to some cities, including Brisbane and Sydney, as catastrophic. We will bring you more information from Australia as it becomes available. In the meantime the waves continue to spread across the Pacific Ocean. We believe tsunamis have already begun to impact the islands of Indonesia and expect the Philippines to be hit in the next half hour.”

  This final prediction jolted Armando out shocked immobility. He turned and ran out of the theater, all thoughts of pain and discomfort forgotten as he raced tow
ards the forward staircase. His thoughts were for his family at home in the Philippines. He was horrified by the idea of the monstrous wave he had seen and survived now rushing to crush his nation, his village, his family. He had to get in contact with them, but how?

  Armando had heard that the ship’s telecom system was down, so he couldn’t just pick up a phone to make a call. He stopped and thought for a moment. The Captain had been holding an Iridium phone when Armando spoke to him on the Bridge. Should he rush up the stairs to the Bridge and beg the Captain to let him use a satellite phone? Hundreds of others might have the same desire and the Captain or one of the officers were almost certainly using that phone to stay in touch with authorities ashore. Then he remembered seeing a number stenciled on the bright yellow Iridium phone that the Captain had held. It had been number 12. Armando realized that meant it had come from Lifeboat Number 12. Every lifeboat had one just like it in a box next to the driver’s seat.

  Armando dashed past the stairs, ran through the shopping mall and casino, into the Martini Bar. Some of the other surviving crew had begun to place plastic tarps over the piles of corpses and Armando snatched one up with hardly a second thought. He lifted the tarp up to cover his head, wrapped it around his body, and ran out the broken doors onto the open deck. The scalding rain was pouring down and the heat of it through the plastic caused Armando’s burns to flare in agony, but he ran on without pause. Lifeboat 12 was right in front of him, but he knew the phone had already been removed from that one. He turned and ran towards Lifeboat Station 10, but that boat had been swept away by the waves. Armando ran on without pause to Lifeboat Station 8.

  Tattered canvas covers still sealed the door to Lifeboat 8 and he took that as a sign no one had yet entered it. Without time to consider his actions Armando reached out to climb the davits securing Lifeboat 8 to the ship. When he let go of the tarp he used his teeth to hold the parts folded around his head in place. Only portions of his face, hands and arms were exposed to the scalding rain. Unfortunately, those parts of his body were also where the worst of his existing burns were concentrated. It was sheer torture, but he fought through the pain and scaled the davit to reach the bow of the lifeboat.