Sedulity 2: Aftershock (Sedulity Saga)

by David Forsyth

  *****

  Armando had climbed painfully back into his bunk, hoping that the combination of whisky, rum, and pain killers would clear the demons from his mind long enough to fall asleep. He hoped that his slumber would be free of dreams, or populated only by fond memories. It was terrifying to think that he would never again have a moment that wasn’t overshadowed by the trauma of the past twenty-four hours. He was convinced that he was already suffering from PTSD, and now he felt something else that a psychologist probably would have identified as survivors’ guilt. Knowing that his family was gone, his home swept away, and having witnessed so much death and destruction aboard the ship and on television was simply overwhelming for a man like Armando.

  Curled up in his bunk, the sadness and despair he felt morphed into anger and helpless rage. He understood the torment that men like Baluk must feel. Armando would never act on such impulses, but they tormented him nonetheless. He was battling his emotions and praying for release in dreamless sleep when a woman’s scream and men shouting outside his door brought him upright. Pain assailed him as he got out of his bunk, causing him to gasp. More shouting and something slamming into the door of his cabin confirmed his fear that something was sorely amiss.

  Armando turned the door handle. The door swung inward forcefully, driven by the weight of two people leaning against it, and almost knocked Armando off his feet. He was shocked to realize the two people in the doorway were a man holding a knife up to the neck of a woman. He was even more shocked to see that the woman was Rachel Brewer! The rage that had consumed him in his bunk now fueled Armando’s response. He grabbed the blade of the knife in one of his bandaged hands, while pulling Rachel from her startled assailant’s grasp and into his cabin with the other. Moving past Rachel, Armando pushed the man back into the hall and followed with the intention of beating him to a pulp. It took him a moment to realize that the hall was full of angry men who all turned their unwanted attention on him. He was totally occupied with the man whose knife was now cutting into his palm, but had the presence of mind to yell, “Close the door, Rachel! Lock it!”

  The next few seconds were confusing. Fists slammed into Armando’s face and sides, but he kept a death grip on the knife, squeezing it so hard that it cut further into his hand. The pain simply added fuel to the fire that burned in his soul. His passion increased as he recognized his attackers as some the same men who had followed Baluk out of the lounge. They were mutineers! That realization only caused Armando to fight harder. He attacked the man whose knife he was holding, smashing a knee upward into his groin. The look of shock and pain on the man’s face was priceless, but his grip on the knife never faltered.

  More blows landed, stunning Armando. Though the pain from his burns and bruises, old and new, made his head swim and his vision dim, he fought back tenaciously while gripping the knife blade. More voices were shouting now, one of them standing out from the rest. It was louder, harsher, and tinged with a Texas drawl that Armando had thought he never wanted to hear again, but was suddenly music to his ears.

  “Hang on there, barkeep! I’m coming!” Hank Donner bellowed, tossing crewmen aside like bowling pins. Armando smiled through his pain and struggled to hang on for moment longer.

  Suddenly a woman’s scream filled the hallway. “Armando, look out!” she yelled.

  He recognized the voice as belonging to Mrs. Krystos a moment before a piercing pain erupted in his back and he felt something slice through his body and grate against his rib cage. Armando released his grip on the first knife and looked down to see the tip of a larger blade poking out of his chest between the folds of his open bathrobe. His eyes opened wide, even as his vision dimmed, and he saw the first knifeman spin around to stab at the charging Texan.

  Armando’s vision failed as the butcher knife was yanked out of his back and he collapsed to the deck. His last mental images before falling into darkness were of his family in the old Panga pump boat, climbing an endless wave towards heaven. The last sounds that Armando registered were a rebel yell and several sharp gunshots that spoke of finality.

  *****

  HMAS Bounder was approaching rendezvous with the Sedulity and Captain Krystos was in constant radio contact with Commander Anders. They compared notes on the weather, exchanged sympathies for everyone and everything lost that day, and confirmed their intentions to sail towards Darwin. Captain Krystos agreed that it was the best possible destination. Port Darwin was a large bay where the Sedulity would be sheltered from the storms that were certain to sweep the oceans in the wake of the asteroid strike. If he could beg, borrow, or buy a full load of diesel fuel there, the Sedulity could conceivably sail anywhere after the weather settled down – if it ever did.

  The onboard radio call from Lt. Reiner took him by surprise. A mutiny in progress? His wife held hostage? Seconds later he heard gunshots over the open frequency. That was followed by a termination of the radio call and Reiner failed to respond to the several urgent calls from the captain. All thoughts of reaching Australia and eventually returning home were banished in those few seconds. Life itself would be meaningless without Lydia. Perhaps it was facing the same loss twice in less than twenty-four hours that did it, but for whatever reason Captain Krystos was about to freak out. His hands were literally shaking, his left eye was twitching, and his stance was rigid and awkward. He now understood how the president of the United States had felt right before he collapsed on live television.

  “Is everything alright, Captain?” Mr. Crawford asked.

  The captain blinked and barked back, “No, you idiot! Everything is definitely not alright. My ship is beat up. There’s a mutiny in progress. My wife has been taken hostage and possibly stabbed or shot. Half the world has been washed away and the rest is facing an ice age. How could everything possibly be alright? In fact, I’ll be damned if I can think of another thing that could possibly go wrong.”

  Kevin had entered the bridge in time to witness the captain’s outburst. There actually was more bad news to share, though he realized this wasn’t the right time for it. Nonetheless, as if he had jinxed himself, the captain received an urgent call from Commander Anders on the Bounder. Captain Krystos motioned for it to be put on the speakers for everyone on the bridge to listen in.

  “Yes, Commander,” Captain Krystos spoke into the mic. “I suppose you have more bad news to share with us?”

  “Yes, Captain, I’m afraid I do,” replied the Australian officer. “Adelaide and Perth have both been hit by tsunamis that came from the south, in the direction of Antarctica. We think they were caused by a combination of reflected tsunamis and the separation of the Ross Ice Shelf that occurred when the first tsunamis struck. These northbound waves were much smaller than those generated directly by the asteroid impact, but still disastrous for southern Australia and New Zealand. That leaves Darwin as the only intact port remaining on the continent of Australia.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Commander,” the Captain said. “At least we made the right decision on our destination.”

  “I hope that stays true, Captain,” Anders said, doubt evident in his voice.

  “Why?” Captain Krystos asked. “Darwin’s on the northwest coast. Won’t it be safe from tsunamis originating in Antarctica?”

  “Yes, but that’s not what has me worried,” Anders replied. “Some of those Indonesian volcanos really blew their tops. In fact, they’re still erupting violently, from all accounts. You remember what happened the last time a major tsunami was triggered near Indonesia. Most of the Indian Ocean was impacted. That’s bound to happen again, but what really has me worried is that some of the largest earthquakes and volcanic blasts today took place on the Pacific side of Indonesia. Any tsunamis they generated are headed straight for Darwin. A tsunami warning has already been issued there.” This news was met by silence on the bridge of the Sedulity.

  After a moment Captain Krystos said, “Thanks for the update, Commander. I don’t see that we have any choice but to continue toward
s Darwin and pray that it’s still in once piece when we get there.”

  “Agreed,” said the Australian, “I only wanted you to know that we aren’t out of the woods just yet, as the Yanks would say.”

  While this exchange had pulled Captain Krystos out of his paralyzed funk, it had done nothing to calm his nerves or settle his fears. He immediately turned back to his handheld radio to demand an update from Lt. Reiner on the status of the mutiny and the safety of his wife. It took several increasingly frantic transmissions before Reiner responded.

  “Reiner here, Captain. Sorry for the delay. Things got quite hectic here for a few minutes, but I have some good news to report, Sir. Your wife and the other hostage are safe. The mutiny has been put down.”

  The captain almost collapsed in relief, the bulk of his tension spilling out of his muscles. He gripped the control console and stared out of the bridge windows, through the pouring rain, seeing nothing and everything clearly again. “Thank God,” he said before hitting the transmit key on his radio. “What happened, Lieutenant?”

  “I’m afraid it’s not all good news, Sir. We do have some fatalities and serious injuries. We were in sort of a Mexican standoff until a loyal member of the crew opened his cabin door into the middle of it. It was Armando, the bartender. He saved the other woman who was being held hostage and engaged her captor in a fight. Then a passenger got involved. He came from the other end of the corridor and it looked like he was trying to save the bartender. At that point the leader of the mutiny, one of the kitchen staff named Baluk, let go of your wife and stabbed Armando. That’s when Mr. Cohen opened fire and put him down, along with the mutiny, but not before both Armando and the passenger were stabbed.

  “The passenger’s name is Hank Donner, from Houston, Texas. He was such a pain in the ass last night that he made sure none of us could forget it, Sir,” the fondness in Reiner’s voice belied his words. “Then he came around and actually pitched in to help the injured and other displaced passengers. You should have seen him charge those mutineers! He was like a bull wearing a cowboy hat. He busted up half a dozen of the bastards before they took him down. Mr. Cohen shot a few, then he and I were able to herd the surviving mutineers into a cabin. He’s guarding the door at gunpoint until the rest of his security team arrives.”

  “What happened to Armando and Mr. Donner?” the Captain asked as soon as Reiner stopped transmitting.

  “We sent both of them to the med center, Sir. That’s what caused the delay in giving you this update. They were both critically injured, and I was just now told that one of them didn’t make it.”

  “Which one?” the captain inquired.

  “I don’t know, Sir. I’ll find out. Both of them were good men, heroes. Armando even talked some the crew out of joining the mutiny earlier. And as much of an ass as Mr. Donner could be at times, he really came through in the end. I sure hope that whichever of them is still alive makes it.”

  “The mutineers will all be charged with murder, or accessory to murder. Thank you, Mr. Reiner. Please send my wife back up to the bridge, if she’s alright.”

  “She and the other woman, a Mrs. Rachel Brewer, went to the med center with the injured, but I’ll be sure to fetch her as soon as we deal with the mutineers. Mr. Cohen plans to put them in the drunk tank until you are ready to throw them overboard, Sir.”

  “We’ll see about that, Mr. Reiner. Lock them up for now. Thank you for all you have done, Lieutenant.”

  *****

  Kevin was shocked by what he had just heard. He knew both Armando and Hank Donner, and he felt guilty for hoping that Armando was the one still alive. He was also pleasantly surprised that Hank had done a selfless act to help rescue Armando and the captain’s wife. Nonetheless, these personal tragedies aboard ship were minor compared to the global catastrophe in progress. Though he had wanted to update the captain on what he was learning, he could see that this was obviously not the right time.

  The Australian officer had actually filled in Captain Krystos on some of the most critical issues that Kevin had intended to share with him. The satellite weather services included those new warnings for tsunamis travelling north from Antarctica and east from Indonesia, bracketing the southern and western coasts of Australia. Kevin was worried that Darwin might face disaster in the next few hours, but would have advised the same course of action as the captain had decided upon. There really wasn’t another option now, expect to press on in hope of finding a safe and intact port in Darwin.

  The mention of the Ross Ice Shelf breaking away from Antarctica was a far more disturbing threat on a global scale. Kevin didn’t see any immediate need to mention all the devastating effects that would generate over the coming months and years. He had already shared more than enough dire predictions for the captain to worry about today. That thought brought him back to his discussion with Steve and his subsequent call to his parents in Florida, and Amanda’s in Colorado. In the end he had decided to split the difference. He told his parents that he was fine and not to worry, that they would be safe there, and that he, Amanda, and Emily, would try to get to Florida as soon as possible. Then he told Amanda’s parents that they needed to pack up everything of value and drive from Colorado to his own parent’s house in Florida as soon as possible. They were hesitant, so he told them that it would be much better to deal with heavy rain in Florida than dozens of feet of snow in Colorado, leaving out the fact that the snow probably wouldn’t melt in their lifetime.

  However, the Ross Ice Shelf disaster could add a new wrinkle to his projections. In the course of a normal ice age the sea levels would fall steadily as more and more of the Earth’s water was trapped in ice. However, if the Ross Ice Shelf drifted into warmer water and began to melt, there might be a short-term but significant rise in sea levels before the long-term cycle kicked in. Kevin’s parents lived in a waterfront home on the inter-coastal waterway. It was entirely possible that their house, and much of Florida, would be submerged within a year. That was a fear that Kevin didn’t want to face right now. He convinced himself that it would be better to send all of their loved ones there, where glaciers would never reach, even if they had to deal with major flooding over the next few years.

  Kevin had decided that Steve was right about the need to hold back some of the worst predictions. There was no good to be served from causing panic, or dashing the joy that his parents and in-laws felt from the news that Kevin and his family were alive and well. There would be plenty of time to break the truly bad news gently, both to his family and the world at large. In the meantime, Kevin grieved for the lives lost aboard the ship and around the globe, rejoiced in the fact that he and his family were still alive, and thanked his lucky stars that they had taken this voyage aboard the Sedulity.

  Look for the shocking conclusion in “Sedulity 3: Consequence” to be released in 2015.

  I hope you have enjoyed the series so far. This installment focused more on events taking place around the world and how they affected the thoughts and emotions of those aboard the Sedulity. The final instalment will settle the fate of the ship, its passengers, and crew in this post-apocalyptic world. As always, your reviews and comments are more than welcome.

  You can find all of my work at www.amazon.com/David-Forsyth/e/B006PLOMMK/ including the following prequel novelette to my first series which I have attacked to this edition as a bonus read.

  I also enjoy interacting with readers on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DavidPForsythAuthor

  And now for something completely different…

  LUKAN

  A prequel novelette in

  The Sovereign Spirit Saga

  By David P Forsyth

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead (except for historical and public figures), is purely coincidental. Although many of the places and things depicted do exist, numerous liberties have been taken and intentional embellishments made. This book does not purport to provide accurate descriptions of any actua
l locations, things, or entities. To the best of the author’s knowledge there are no such things as zombies and no plans by anyone to create them. This is an original work of fiction and all intellectual property rights are reserved by David P. Forsyth.

  Cover Art by William O. Rosenthal.

  Copyright 2013 @ David P. Forsyth

  All rights reserved

  Kindle Edition

  LUKAN

  I’m a dead man walking, but I’ve been having the time of my life. If everything goes according to plan there might not be anyone left alive to read this, but I still want to record my experiences during this apocalyptic odyssey. Yes, it is quite possible that nobody will ever read this. So why write it? Under normal circumstances nobody would believe it anyway. Yet maybe aliens or some other species will arrive or evolve and wonder about us. Like we wondered about dinosaurs. So I am using my tablet to record the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Before this plane lands in Sydney I will upload my testimonial to several secure servers and embed a time delayed release. Some people may read it and learn the truth before they die. And, if there are any survivors, they might be curious about how the world ended.

  We are all dying. We don’t want to face it, but it’s true. From the moment you are born the clock is ticking. Most of us never know when the timer will hit zero. For me that all changed four months ago when a doctor told me that I only had six months to live. It’s cancer. Brain cancer. An inoperable tumor. Hopeless. I know some of you will think, “Ah, the tumor made him crazy,” but you would be wrong. The modern world is the disease that did this to me and I am the cure. For the past ten years I held a cell phone next to my head for at least three or four hours a day. Damned unlimited talk plans! I’m pretty sure that is what gave me the tumor, but it doesn’t really matter anymore. Besides, that is not what I want to tell you about. It is only important as far as it goes to explain how I got into this.