Sedulity 2: Aftershock (Sedulity Saga)

by David Forsyth

  The first priority was to set some ground rules with the new roomies. He took off his hat and threw it on the king size bed before turning to face them and said, “The couch in the sitting room folds out into a queen bed and y’all can make yourselves at home there. I’m not sure if the TV works, but you’re welcome to try it. I’m gonna wash up and grab some shut-eye before it’s time to go down for dinner.”

  Fred gave him one of those looks, but Romy said, “Thank you so much, Mr. Donner. This place is nicer than the room we had and I can’t thank you enough for sharing it with us. We’ll try not to get in the way. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it.”

  “Yes, thank you, Mr. Donner,” Fred said in an obligatory tone. They were the first words he had spoken since leaving the theater and Hank took it as a good sign that the little twerp didn’t appear hostile and appeared to have gotten beyond the quivering stage. Maybe the reality of his situation was finally setting in.

  “You folks can call me Hank. We’re roomies now, at least until we reach land. So let’s make the best of it. Mi casa, su casa, and all that stuff, right?” He and Romy exchanged smiles while Fred nodded uncertainly.

  *****

  Armando’s pain was getting the best of the painkillers, but a couple more shots of Scotch made it bearable. He wanted to return to his cabin, but felt a duty to remain at the bar if only to talk some sense into the men who had gathered around it. One of the most important jobs of a good bartender is to be a good listener and to offer comfort and sage advice to those who come in to drown their sorrows. Armando had talked many men and a few women out of deep depression from across a bar in the past, but this time his amateur counseling skills were being put to the ultimate test.

  He knew better than to get any of these men truly inebriated. There was no telling what kind of trouble they would cause in a drunken rage. So he was careful to water down cocktails and limit their consumption of beer and shots. He did it skillfully, mixing humor with reminders of the quota on drinks and saying he couldn’t offer more free drinks than they would have been allowed to buy. He spent most of his time engaging the distressed men in conversations aimed at convincing them how lucky they were to be aboard the Sedulity, how happy their families would be to know they were safe here, and how important their contribution was to the survival of everyone aboard. It worked with a few, some of whom even left after their first or second drink, promising to go back to their assigned stations.

  With others it was a harder sell. One Filipino maintenance man was crying openly and kept telling Armando, in Tagalog, about his five children and wife who lived on the coast near Subic Bay. He didn’t care about anything except going to find them, even after Armando had all but convinced him it was hopeless. He didn’t appear violent, but he was so struck with grief that he would follow anyone who could help him go home, if only to bury his wife and children. That was the motivation for most of these would-be mutineers. They were not bad men. Their hearts were in the right place, but their emotions had overwhelmed their common sense, or at least their sense of duty and responsibility to the Sedulity and those aboard her. Their only thoughts were of home and family, even if – probably because – they knew those precious things had already been destroyed. Armando was certain that many of these men needed professional grief counseling, but a bartender was the closest thing available at the moment.

  While Armando was in the midst of yet another impassioned appeal for the men to support the captain and return to their duties, he saw an officer standing by the entrance to the lounge. The other men were all facing the bar, their attention either on Armando or the television above him, and hadn’t noticed the officer’s arrival. Armando recognized Lt. Reiner and noticed a stern frown on his face, but the expression was also quizzical. He stood and listened to Armando cajole the men into returning to work, while extolling their courage in facing this disaster, and comforting them on their loss. Coming from a man covered in bandages and still tending bar, it must have had some impact.

  Armando closed his speech by saying, “All right mates, let’s have one final round in honor of our fellow crew who were lost last night, and for all those in peril across the sea, and most of all to those who helped God save this ship!” He was pouring small shot glasses of spiced rum for each of them while he spoke, including one for himself and another for the lieutenant. “After this I am shutting down the bar and sending you all back to work.” Many nodded while a few shook their heads sadly. Then Armando said, “Lieutenant Reiner, Sir? Will you join us in a toast?”

  It was an awkward moment when the assembled crewmen realized that an officer was standing behind them, but Mr. Reiner took his cue and walked up to accept the offered shot glass. He raised it aloft and said, “To the Sedulity and all who man her! God save this ship!”

  “God save this ship!” the men chanted before downing their shots.

  *****

  Captain Krystos ordered a course change as soon as the wind and swells had subsided to a manageable level. He also increased the ship’s speed from 15 to 22 knots. This would not only shorten the length of time it would take to reach Australia, but also allowed for maximum stabilization, even if it consumed diesel fuel at an alarming rate. All four generators and propulsion pods had been brought back online. Captain Krystos’ goal was to reach port as soon as possible and with the least amount of discomfort to the passengers. He was also concerned about the reports of unrest among the crew, including the news has wife had shared with him about the kitchen staff abandoning their duties. The sooner the ship reached land, the better.

  The faster the ship moved through rough seas, the smoother it cut through the swells and the better the stabilization. Stabilizers were like stubby airplane wings, or dive planes on submarines. They rotated in opposite directions on each side of the ship, controlled automatically by gyroscopes, to counter the rolling motion that the swells tried to impart on the ship. An ingenious invention of the 20th century, they had drastically reduced seasickness and improved comfort on ocean liners and cruise ships. When the swells tried to tilt a ship the stabilizers would fight to keep the ship upright. The faster the ship was traveling, the more effective they were. The downside was that using stabilizers at full speed greatly reduced the ship’s fuel economy. In this case, however, the captain was committed to reaching a safe port quickly and at all costs. Either they would secure more fuel in Darwin, or the Sedulity would remain there indefinitely.

  While a fast ride through high seas was smoother in some ways, the pounding sounds and shudders coming from the bow were impressive, even disturbing to the uninitiated. The bow rose and fell as it sliced through the swells, each downward plunge causing vibrations to reverberate through the hull, rattling unbroken glass and display cases. Captain Krystos was confident that the hull remained sound, even after the beating it had received from the blast wave and tsunamis. Slamming through twenty foot swells was nothing compared to the towering monsters the Sedulity had already survived. Nevertheless, the captain remained on the bridge to monitor the ship, and because he didn’t have any desire to follow any more news about the wave of destruction sweeping up the West Coast of America and the shores of Asia.

  Kevin had also ceased watching the news after the destruction of Southern California, while Professor Farnsworth stayed glued to the TV until his own home near Stanford University was washed away, along with the rest of the Bay Area. They were both back in the navigation room, sharing even darker predictions, when the captain came in with more news.

  “We’ve restored satellite internet service. It’s not as fast as normal, but we are online. I’ve restricted access by the passengers and crew until you have a chance to send all your weather data and projections. Here’s a list of the places requesting it,” the captain said, handing Kevin a sheet of paper.

  “Good,” Kevin replied. “We have several files ready to upload immediately.” He glanced at the list, noting familiar names such as the National Weather Service, National Hu
rricane Warning Center, NOAA, along with a host of foreign weather service websites. It felt strange to be providing vital weather data to all these experts, instead of receiving it from them for use in his nightly news forecasts.

  “After you get your data sent you can use email or internet telephone to contact anyone else you need to,” Captain Krystos offered. “I’ll open up some workstations and phone lines for passengers and crew to use too. I’m sure that everyone aboard wants to check in with loved ones. I just hope that most of them still have someone to contact.”

  “Thank you, Captain,” Professor Farnsworth said. “We have a daughter in Texas who must be worried to death.”

  “Amanda and I have parents in Colorado and Florida who I’m sure feel the same way,” Kevin said. “Thank you, Sir. We’ll handle the data dump first, of course. And we’ll probably want to call the National Weather Service directly. But it will be great to be able to let our families know we’re still alive.”

  “Yes, indeed,” Captain Krystos agreed. “I’m about to make some similar calls to people in Greece, as well as my superiors at the cruise line headquarters. This business with the crew has me worried a bit. Some of them have already abandoned their posts. Perhaps being able to call or email someone will help the situation, except for those who have already lost their homes and family.” He shook his head in sadness and left Kevin and the professor to their tasks.

  The weather data and predictions they sent would trigger panic among the global meteorological community. Experts around the world must already be worried merely from looking at satellite photos; now they would be receiving precise measurements of rainfall, temperatures, wind, and barometric pressure. Though computer models existed for this set of conditions, it wouldn’t be long until the global ramifications became obvious.

  *****

  Lieutenant Reiner drank his shot of rum with the men and stood silently as they filed out of the lounge. From what he had seen and heard while standing in back of them, it was likely that most of these men would indeed return to their duties. After they left he looked back at the bartender. He recognized Armando now, although the bandages and bathrobe had thrown him at first.

  “Thank you, Armando,” Reiner said. “So you’re ready to lock up the booze now?”

  “Yes, Sir. I only came in for a few shots as a painkiller, and to numb the shock of seeing the end of the world on TV. The others came in later and I thought I should try to calm their nerves too. There was some dangerous talk earlier. I know I broke some rules, Sir, but I wanted to put them back on the right course.”

  “It’s alright, Armando. I heard what you were telling them. You did the right thing. I know how hard this all must be for those with family near the coast of the Pacific,” Reiner broke off as he realized that Armando, being Filipino, was one those he spoke of.

  “Yes, Sir,” the bartender replied evenly. “My family and my home are gone now. I talked to them on a sat-phone from one of the lifeboats last night. They went out to sea in a little boat to try climbing over the waves the way the Sedulity did. It was hopeless. I know it. They knew it too, I think. My father would rather go out on his own terms, fighting, than wait for the waves to wash away our home. They are gone now, but I am here. I want to do whatever I can to help this ship and everyone aboard survive. It’s what my family would want me to do.”

  “You’ve already done more than most, Armando. I can see how badly you were burned, and I heard about your bravery last night. What you did just now might mean even more to all of us. There are reports of unrest among the crew, people abandoning their duties. That’s why I was sent down here.”

  “It’s true, Sir. The men here were part of a larger group that want to force the captain to take them home. I argued with them, showed them all the pictures on TV, tried to convince them there was nothing to go home to, but many wouldn’t listen. I decided that the ones who stayed with me deserved a drink. And I listened to them. They are afraid. They are hopeless. They think the world is ending, and all they want is to go home and find their families. It is very sad.”

  “Yes, it is,” Reiner agreed. “But we have to keep this ship running as best we can until we reach port. I’m sure the captain won’t force any of the crew to remain aboard, not if they want to get off and the Australians will let them. Or perhaps we will drop off most of the passengers and then be free to decide where to take the ship next, even go looking for surviving family of the crew. Who knows? All we can focus on now is keeping the crew motivated to man this ship. You did well with that bunch. I think most of them took your message to heart.”

  “Thank you, Sir. I was only doing my duty as a good bartender and loyal member of the crew.”

  “Yes, indeed,” Reiner smiled. “Well, in that case, I’ll have one more shot of that rum before you close up the bar and go back to your cabin. It’s been a hell of a night and even worse day.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Armando said while he poured a full shot for the Lieutenant.

  “What else can you tell me about the others? The ones who wouldn’t listen to you?”

  “There were a dozen that I saw, mostly Indonesian, a few Filipinos. Their leader is a cook named Baluk. They were trying to get others to join them. My Taiwanese friend, Phong, went with them, but he is not really on their side. I asked him to play along and keep tabs on them. Please don’t punish him, Sir.”

  “I don’t want to punish anyone, Armando. I want the same things that you do,” Reiner said earnestly. “I know the crew must be taking this as hard as the passengers. But we have to convince everyone, crew and passengers alike, that keeping the ship running is the most important thing for all of us now. I’ll keep your friend in mind when I find that bunch. Now lock up the bar and go back to your cabin to rest and recover.”

  “I can come with you to find them, Sir,” Armando offered.

  “Jesus, Armando, you’re covered in bandages and burns, wearing a bathrobe and slippers. You’ve already done enough to help save the ship and defuse this situation. Now go back to bed and try not to worry. I’m sure we’ll be able to get everyone back on track soon.”

  Armando looked dubious, but obeyed orders while Lt. Reiner used his radio to ask Mr. Cohen and another security officer to meet him in the Crew Lounge. He didn’t want to escalate a conflict, but decided it would be best not to confront a dozen or more rebellious crewmen by himself. After locking the roll-down shutters on the bar, Armando wished the lieutenant luck and returned to his cabin. He really didn’t want to be mixed up in any sort of trouble, having seen more than enough of it since last night.

  *****

  HMAS Bounder had completed a near approach to the impact zone and was now fighting her way back towards a rendezvous with the Sedulity and the voyage to safety in Darwin. Conditions near the impact zone had continued to deteriorate and the Australian frigate had encountered hurricane force winds more than 25 miles from the steam column, forcing her to turn back short of the 20 mile mark. Commander Anders was more than happy to aim his ship away from the source of the apocalypse and head for home, or what was left of it. Steaming full speed into the wind and swells felt much better than being pushed towards the source of global disaster.

  The news continued to worsen, along with the weather, and the full impact of this catastrophe was beginning to sink in. The crew were uniformly disheartened. There was no threat of mutiny here, not on an Australian warship, but the devastation already wreaked upon their homeland was enough to take the wind out of everyone’s sails. Only those from inland cities or Outback towns felt confident that their homes and loved ones still existed. The majority of the crew were morose and dejected by the probability that they no longer had a home and family to return to.

  Commander Anders could barely stand to hear the steady stream of bad news coming in on the communications links. The California coast was wiped out, followed by Oregon and Japan on opposite sides of the Pacific. In Oregon the tsunamis roared up the Columbia River and wiped out Portland, t
hen filled the Columbia Gorge and overran the hydroelectric dam, flooding all the way to Hood River and beyond. Before the tsunamis reached Seattle the volcano beneath Mount Rainier blew its top and wiped out everything and everyone within fifty miles. Reports indicated that New Zealand had been decimated. The coasts of South Africa and Argentina had also been hit hard. What would happen next? Anders tempered his anguish by reminding himself that Europe and other nations along the Atlantic Ocean had escaped destruction, but his intuition told him their reprieve might not last long. This was the damned apocalypse. He felt it in his gut. It might not be end of the world, it was the end of the world as he knew it.

  Chapter 10

  The tsunamis were still powerful when they reached Antarctica. Along most of the Pacific coastline they smashed straight into mountains and glaciers, reflecting back to sea as smaller tsunamis headed back north. In the Ross Sea, however, a much different phenomena occurred. The depth of the water, ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 feet, prevented the tsunami from reaching great heights, but focused its power into the wide gulf. Part of the waves did break against the massive frozen walls of the Ross Ice Shelf, but the vast majority of the tsunamis’ power was channeled beneath the massive ice shelf. As the floor of the Ross Sea shoaled into shallower depths the force of the water moving below the ice shelf grew enormously. Unlike air, water can’t be compressed. Sandwiched between the shoaling sea floor and the massive ice shelf above, the water pressure generated by the tsunami became astronomical.

  The scientists at McMurdo Station on the Ross Ice Shelf were not taken completely by surprise. They had been warned to expect the tsunamis, though no one had quite grasped how devastating they could be. The initial impact of the waves upon the edge of the ice shelf was dramatic and caused the calving of hundreds of large icebergs, but there was little damage to the station and no injuries were reported. Their relief was short lived, however, when the ice shelf surrounding the station was struck by a series of what appeared to be earthquakes. Of course it was nothing of the sort, since the ice shelf was floating on water and the station itself, on the barren Ross Island, didn’t shake at all. What they witnessed instead was the entire ice shelf being lifted by the power of the tsunamis trapped and moving beneath it. Ice shattered with what sounded like rolling thunder all along the coast of the Ross Sea, including the shores of Ross Island where McMurdo Station was perched.