EMP Survivors (Book 1): Destination Lost

by Christof, Norman

  "We need a contingency plan."

  "I agree. We certainly do."

  "Wait, those people said they knew a way off. The ones with the gun. They said they had a way off the boat. How would they know that unless they were some sort of security officers, or working for the cruise line? They must know something."

  "You're talking about someone that just committed attempted murder. I don't think you can assume that they're rational people. There's no way people like that would be working for the cruise line. No way."

  "We have to go to the captain."

  "We already tried that, he doesn't want to deal with us, or any of the other passengers."

  "He may not want to, but now he has to, after what we just saw. He can tell us if those people were part of his crew. You can describe them to him. Then, we can find out."

  "Even if he knows who they are, what makes you think he'll tell us. For all we know, he'll just lock us up in the brig, like he threatened to last time."

  "We'll figure that out when we come to it. C'mon, let's go find the captain."

  Holly opened the door and was halfway out before Garrett spoke.

  "Wait. Holly, wait. I may have a better idea."

  Chapter 16 ~ Dangerous Views

  It doesn't take long to walk down forty-five flights of stairs. Not really. Not if you're motivated. Not if you really want to make it to the bottom. Not if it's a matter of life and death, and certainly not if it is a matter of your life and death. That's a pretty big motivator when it comes to the fairly mundane task of walking down a flight of stairs ... even forty-five flights, which in this skyscraper worked out to exactly four hundred and ninety-five stairs. Not counting landings.

  What, however, happens, when you're not sure if you're moving to a safer place, or a more dangerous place? What happens when you're not sure if you'll survive what you find at the bottom? What happens if taking too long to get to the bottom endangers the life of someone other than yourself?

  These are all questions that Becky and William considered as they moved as fast as they could down to ground level. There's a natural instinct in all animals, including human beings, to get as far as possible from a near-death episode. A deer that is struck by a moving vehicle on the highway but not killed will instinctively get up, and race as quickly as its injuries allow from the collision. Adrenaline and base instincts kick in and override all rational thought.

  The more interesting question, though, is what happens when that animal running for its life ends up in a place that is even more threatening than the one it was fleeing from in the first place.

  "How much further to go?" Becky asked.

  "No idea," William said. "I stopped counting like ten floors back."

  "It sure would be handy if stairwells had windows to the outside. When you think about the people that have to do massive amounts of stairs at once, it's pretty stressful."

  "Really? Why would you say that?"

  "Well, it's either an emergency, like a fire, or something where there's danger you're trying to get away from. It's tough on people. Especially if maybe you're not in great shape. It might be nice to be able to see out a window and have feedback that you're getting closer."

  "You realize that there will be signs on all these doors saying what floor you're on when the building is finished."

  "Yeah, of course I do, but that's not really the same thing. It's just a sign, and people don't always pay attention to signs, you know. We're bombarded with them all the time, and we sort of block them out. Like too much advertising. Actually seeing the ground getting closer, and seeing people on the streets, is so much more real. More positive, if you know what I mean."

  "Sure, I could see that. It's kind of like a performance review, or a report card that you get every year from your boss or teachers. It's more meaningful. You put more weight on it."

  "Exactly. People don't even believe signs most of the time these days. They don't listen. It says 'Don't Litter', but they still do. They see a stop sign, but they rarely stop completely. It's a rolling stop. Unless you're like going to run over a bunch of people or something, then you'll really stop."

  "True, but in that place, you're not even stopping for the sign, you're actually stopping for the people. Which is what you're saying about the windows in stairwells. You see the real thing that's happening outside. It's much more meaningful."

  "Exactly. And don't even get me started on speed limit signs. I swear, they're like a total waste of time. Why even bother? Nobody pays attention at all."

  "I'll be sure to bring it up in my next design class. I'm sure the prof would be keen to hear your insights on the true meaning of signs."

  "I look forward to that class."

  "We could stop, you know, and walk out on the floor. Then we'd get a good view of the real world." Garrett stopped at the next landing, and put his hand on the door. "We could have a look."

  "I don't know." Becky thought back to what they'd seen and heard on the street from up high. "We're almost there now anyways, we have to keep going. It's not a matter of choice anymore."

  "What about all that stuff you said about signs not being real? You really don't want to know what's going on out there in the real world?"

  "You know, I do and I don't. I'm just scared to look."

  "I could look for you, if you want. I don't mind."

  "You want to look?" Becky crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

  "No ... but I will. If you want me to."

  "I can wait."

  "Yeah, me too. It can't be much further."

  They walked the rest of the stairs at a slower pace than any of the others. They didn't say a word, as they were lost in their own thoughts. William's mind raced back to the time when he visited the pyramids in Egypt, and how his parents wouldn't let him race his brother down the steep steps. He wondered what they'd say now, as he casually took his time on the last few steps to the bottom of the skyscraper. Becky's mind thought of her parents as well. How proud her dad would be of her and the heights she'd risen to already in her short time in New York. She thought of how her mother was just as proud as she was nervous about her being in New York alone, and far from her family. She wondered most of all what they were thinking now, and whether or not they were worrying about her.

  When they came down the last flight of stairs and there were no more steps to take, it came as a shock. There were no flags waving, bells sounding, or ticker tape to cross. It was strangely quiet being at the base of a major construction zone in the heart of one of the busiest and noisiest cities in the world. Becky reached for the door first. Her heart raced faster than it had for the last forty-five flights. She turned the handle and opened the door.

  Chapter 17 ~ Cabana Boys

  "We need to find those people and follow them," Garrett said as they made their way back to the main decks.

  "I can see that you believe that, but I'm not so sure that it's a great idea. They already shot and possibly killed someone. Plus, they may have spotted you," Holly said.

  As they walked up the last flight of stairs, Garrett's knees were letting him know that they weren't happy with him. "I've definitely spent far too much time hobbling around construction sites all my life. This body is not what it used to be."

  Holly smiled, and put a reassuring hand on his back. "It looks good to me, and it seemed to work just fine our first night aboard."

  Garrett smiled back. "I do appreciate the ego stroking, and I'm glad to hear I'm still able to meet certain obligations, but right now these knees of mine are screaming for an hour in a hot tub."

  "Obligations? Is that how you saw the other night?" Holly teased him.

  "Hey, you know that's not what I meant. You know me better than that. You can't be judging my character on my vocabulary choices."

  As they got to the exit door from the stairwell, Holly turned Garrett to face her. She stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him lovingly on the lips. "You are anything but lowly at anything you've
ever done in your life. In spite of our troubles and the demands we've placed on each other, you've been loyal and reliable to your family. I have the utmost faith that while you may not always do the right thing, you'll do it for all the right reasons. And that is what really matters."

  Garrett returned her affectionate kiss. "So, does this officially mean that I have your blessing to move back in?"

  "Absolutely. I'm looking forward to it." They both held each other for a little longer, knowing full well the caveat that went with this renewed relationship. "All you have to do ... scratch that ... all we have to do is get ourselves out of this predicament, and back home."

  They walked out onto the main sun deck of the ship, and found a totally different world than the one they had left several hours ago. This was no longer a cruise ship filled to the brim with happy vacationers. The kind that were more concerned about where their next margarita was coming from than whether their 401Ks were getting a good rate of return this year.

  The security guard on the other side of the door was the first sign that things were different. He gave them an angry look as they emerged from the wrong side of the door.

  "You realize, don't you, that the captain has deemed the accommodation floors off limits for the time being?" the security guard said. He made no effort to detain Garrett or Holly as they walked away without answering, but he clearly wasn't pleased to see them emerge from the stairwell. He likely would have said more to them if he wasn't immediately bombarded with other passengers demanding to know why some people were allowed into their room, while others weren't. The guard fended them off by saying something about it being captain's orders, and he was just doing what he was told. He then reached for the hand-held radio on his hip, and had a conversation with someone, all the while never taking his eyes off Garrett and Holly.

  "Did you see that?" Holly said urgently.

  "Yes. I sure did," Garret replied, looking back over his shoulder at the guard.

  "Where did he get a working radio? I thought all the electronics were dead. And who was he talking with?"

  "Apparently, things aren't quite as bad as we were led to believe, or someone's been hard at work fixing broken gear."

  "Either way, it's a good thing. I haven't heard the hum of ship engines in a long time though."

  "I suspect getting hand-held radios to work is a far sight easier than restarting the ship's engines. I wonder what else could be working on board?"

  "Damien said that it was electronics that were affected by one of those EMP blasts, right?" Holly said, thinking to herself.

  "Right."

  "Then, why would the engines stop working? Engines aren't electric, are they? Wouldn't they be diesel or gas powered on this ship?"

  "This boat has what's called a diesel electric engine. The main diesel engine isn't actually connected to the propellers. It's connected to massive generators, which produce electricity, which is then sent to the electric engines, which actually turn the ship's propellers. In theory, the diesel engines could run without electricity, but they'd likely overheat because electric pumps are used to bring in cold ocean water to cool the diesel engines."

  Holly turned to look at Garrett. "Wait. How do you know all that?"

  "I did a little research."

  "A little? It sounds like you swallowed an encyclopedia about cruise ship propulsion."

  Garrett rolled his eyes. "You know me. I don't think it's a secret here that I wasn't that keen on taking a cruise."

  "Oh really? You're going to bring that up now?"

  "That's not what I meant. I was just trying to explain." He held up placating hands. "Let me start again. I was kinda nervous about being out here in the middle of the ocean, so I figured if I did some research on how all these things worked, it'd be easier for me. I could relax and enjoy it. That's better for both of us, right?"

  Holly smiled. "Right. Yes, of course it is. I didn't mean to get defensive there."

  "No, I know you didn't, but--"

  Garrett suddenly stopped talking and stared at a crowd of people at the end of the pool deck. He moved quickly around a few people, then stopped at the bar, where he could get a better view.

  Holly hurried to keep up, and sat next to Garrett at one of the many empty bar stools. The bar apparently was out of service, and wasn't nearly as busy as it normally was during cocktail hour.

  "What are you doing?" Holly asked.

  "Those people in that cabana at the far end. Those are the two men I saw through our room door peephole."

  "You're sure?"

  "Positive. They're wearing the same clothes, and they look exactly like brothers. Up here in the daylight, I'm sure it's them."

  "Maybe we shouldn't be this close then. What if they see you?"

  "That's actually what I'm wondering about. I don't think they saw me below, but I need to know for sure. You wait here and watch. I'm going to walk over there next to them, and see if they react."

  "Are you crazy? We both know what they're capable of." Holly lowered her voice to a whisper. "You saw them shoot a woman for no good reason."

  Garrett ignored her argument. "We're surrounded by other people now; there's no way they'll do anything stupid. They can't. If they try anything, I want you to go and get that security guard we walked by."

  "That's crazy. Then what? We all end up confined to the ship's brig?"

  "I'm ninety-nine percent sure they won't react at all. If they don't, then we can find out what they're up to. Remember? The one guy said he had a way out. I want to know what that is, and I want to get to it before he does. That's our best chance for getting off this thing and back to Becky."

  Garrett left the bar and headed for the two men. Holly knew it would be useless to try and stop him when he was this adamant. She also saw the dark clouds forming in the distance and noticed an increase in the wind over the deck. Damien was right about the storm piece on the map. They couldn't wait for others to save the day.

  Chapter 18 ~ Life On The Street

  William and Becky stepped out of the half-finished skyscraper and onto the construction site they'd been so excited to be a part of just a few scant hours ago. The smell of burning fuel filled their noses for the second time in one day. They couldn't see the fuel trucks that were burning on the other side of the building, but the smell told them they were still there. It wasn't something you could easily grow accustomed to. It was unsettling, and acrid, and brought back thoughts of death and dying. The helicopter pilot, still locked into his flight harness behind a smashed windscreen. Steel workers, who were just doing their jobs on a regular work day, with spouses, parents and children at home waiting for them. Friends and colleagues like Wayne, who gave young, promising architectural students an opportunity to find their way in the real world. Being on the ground wasn't as welcoming as they'd hoped. It wasn't like in the movies, where the hero who finally makes it through the gauntlet of obstacles bursts out into the sunlight to be greeted by flashing red lights, emergency rescue personnel, and overjoyed family members.

  Instead, they stepped into the dusk of a day drawing to an end, and silence. There was no one to greet them, wrap them in a white blanket, and rush them to an ambulance to be treated for minor injuries. They were still on their own, and still with problems to be dealt with. People that still needed to be rescued, but no one there to help. They couldn't just give directions to the firemen, who could easily traverse the building and save the life of their friend. No matter how much the fatigue was eating into their bones, they'd have to be the ones to save the day.

  Their first destination was the main construction trailer. There'd be phones and emergency equipment there. It was the hub of the whole construction project. It was where all the architects, inspectors, politicians and financial backers met for on-site meetings. There should be someone still there at this time of day. Even during the night shifts, the security watchman could be found there. It was nicer than the sparse security trailer at the main gate and no one was arou
nd to complain.

  William nearly tripped on some rebar lying on the ground as they made their way across the site.

  "Careful," Becky said. "We've had enough injuries for one day. We don't need to be rescuing anyone else."

  "That shouldn't be just lying there out in the open like that," William said. "Shouldn't the health and safety inspector guys be taking care of that?"

  "They should be, but they never seem to stay past five."

  "Sun's going down. It's later than I thought. Time flies."

  Nothing in the trailer was working. They tried both phones, and all the walkie talkie radios were dead.

  "This place is like a ghost town, and it's not even a Friday afternoon." William looked around the trailer, then checked the fridge. There were still plenty of lunch buckets inside, and the fridge light didn't come on. "This is out too, and check out all the lunch boxes."

  Becky was still trying to get the phone to work. She plugged and unplugged it several times.

  "You hungry?" William asked.

  "How can you think of food at a time--"

  William didn't wait for her to answer, he just opened one of the boxes and started on a big red apple.

  "Actually," Becky said, changing her mind, "I'm starved. Finders keepers, I guess." She opened another lunch bucket, and found a couple of granola bars to eat.

  "We've got to keep our strength up if we're going to find help. It won't do Wayne any good to have us passing out on the street from hunger."

  "I don't think we're going to pass out from hunger," Becky said mockingly. "It's only been a few hours."

  "Speak for yourself. I'm that stereotypical growing boy. If I don't eat constantly my brain goes foggy, and I do a lot of dumb stuff."