Low murmur (ch. 30)

"Given nature and consequences of recent disclosures to the public, it is the decision of this government to suspend all political activities for the present time.

“All Delegates are to return to their respective districts and work to maintain relative security of the general populace,” finished the Chair of the national Delegation in a grave tone.

A low murmur broke out in the Council Chamber.

“Well Mark, this nation has seen a good run. I fear we will meet again under much duress, and witness its end. Good luck,” said an old friend and mentor, turning towards Mark and Bernard. 

All on him (ch. 29)

There they stood, the three of them in front of the world. What they had seen, what they had recorded only their shipmates knew. Totally unaware of the consequences, which would eventually arise from their disclosure to the world, they continued with their story.

“We believed the world should know exactly what it was we saw,” continued Francis to the crowd of media before them.

“And what of the Captain?” asked one anxious reporter, during the barrage of questions.

So when the world falls to pieces, thought John as Francis’s devilish smile answered question upon question. It’s all on him. 

Scared (ch. 28)

Passing through the nation towards home, the world seemed to be at an uneasy peace. There were no riots, there was no unrest, but for how long? The air was stagnant with the waters of animosity.

“Some pretty scary stuff that boat found,” commented Bernard.

“Yea, that’s for sure,” wait a minute.

“Some things just shouldn’t be found.”

“Really though, I think the reaction people are going to have will be more scary than anything that boat could have dragged up.”

“Why is that?”

“Whatever it is they found, it was already there.” The people, they scare me, thought Mark. 

Never made it (ch. 27)

"He never made it down there, and I couldn’t stop the water from rushing in. It was too dark,” said Francis, with a tone that wouldn’t hold up in court.

“That’s too bad, he was a good guy.”

“Hopefully they’ll find us soon,” said Andrea as the three watched the dangerously listing ship lurch closer to the bottom of the sea.

“The water must be at-least seven-thousand feet deep here?” asked Francis hoping for concurrence.

“More like ten,” why would you want to know that. “This is a pretty deep canyon.”

 “You still have the findings?”


Ah-ha! 

Rusty spring (ch. 26)

The smash of a window down some narrow street.


“That was all it took?” he asked of the event.


“That seems to be the spark, which lit the fuse,” answered Mark.

The tense air, which suffocated the nation as of late, broke. A strong wind, which started from a single broken window, swept across the land. All the tension, the anger, built up over the preceding weeks released like a rusty spring, leaving its broken fragments across the land.

“If that window was the spark, these new strikes are the fuse.

 “I’m only afraid of the detonation,” finished Mark somberly. 

Leagues of water (ch. 25)

"It’s been hours,” started Andrea.

“Seriously, something isn’t right,” said John, as the two sat on the decks waiting anxiously to know what transpired below.

Turning the large silvery valve handle, Francis sealed the ship’s and its captain’s fate. Tucked neatly between the pipes and deck plates, no one would ever find him beneath so many leagues of water.

Well, that’s that, he thought leaving the engine room, which was quickly filling with sea water.

“Are you alright? What happened down there? Where’s the captain?” assailed the two waiting up on deck with the rest of the crew.

“It’s alright.” 

power grid (ch. 24)

"When do you imagine they’ll have the power grid restored?” asked Bernard.

“It’s been taking longer and longer to get this sort of stuff back in order lately. I don’t honestly know how much more of this we can absorb.”

“This is terrible, who would’ve thought it’d come to this?”


“Terrible or not, I don’t believe it’s over. These people will take this as far as they can.

 “Why don’t they declare martial law?”

“Honestly, who’s going to declare martial law on whom, exactly?” asked Mark as the two sat there waiting for night to wash away the available light. 

HISSSSS (Ch. 23)

"What we witnessed, Francis,” with a deep sigh ”was nothing short of amazing.

“The world is not ready for that yet, though,” spoke the Captain in his most dejected voice.

“Ready or not, it happened. The world will see what we saw,” said the voice from the deep shadows of the dark engine room. Left hand on the air receiver bleed valve, the ship was at Francis’s whim.

“Listen, don’t do this. It’s not worth it.”


“It is going to happen, they are going to see.” “Francis, don.....”


HISSSSSS


“What is it you want!?”


That done, the ship was helpless. 

Fault-lines (ch. 22)

Riots, strikes, less-than civil disobedience, all shaking the nation apart. Mark saw it coming. For the first time since that boat arrived, he saw the wreck at the end of the tunnel.

“We, this country is sitting on a fault line,” he said emphatically to Bernard.


“That’s a thousand miles east of here.”


“No, more of a political one. This country is being torn into pieces by its own people.”

 “I don’t think its more than a briar patch, really.”


“It’s more than that, it’s a shattered existence.


“The beginning of the end,” he said staring over the harbor. 

Air Receiver (ch. 21)

"Do I want it to stop?” a bit of outrage singed the Captains voice.

Sitting in the dark, Francis smiled. All it would take is one twist of my fingers, he thought, as he sat there below the air receiver.

“That was the question, and I am fully prepared to stop this flooding.” “Well then, get on with it, we have places to go!”

“Right there, that’s the thing,“ we aren’t going anywhere “I think we should stop and show our findings to the world.”

“Now, listen to me very carefully, Francis. That isn’t going to happen.” 

“Why’s that, Skipper?” 

White flag (ch. 20)

Staring into the steam rising off his cup of coffee, Mark didn’t want to talk about it. Nothing in the world could make this any better, including him being stuck away from home during a time like the present.


“You got notified, too, didn’t you Mark?”


“That’s the story, unfortunately,” he answered Bernard. “Listen, now is no time to lose sight.”


“Give me the white flag, I’ll throw it down.”


“Not going to happen.”


“Listen Bernard, it’s going to happen. The only reason I’m still in the game is to save as many people as possible from this train wreck.” 

DIW (ch. 19)

"That’s funny. I’d, have thought the lights would be back on by now.”


 “Something doesn’t seem right... we did exactly as Francis said to do, right?”


The first glow of dawn found R/V Forward dead in the water, and just off the coast. Tossing gently in the swells, the ship lay victim to the whims of the currents.


“I’m sure of it, something else must’ve gone wrong,” answered Andrea nervously.


 “This water is too cold for my blood.”


“At least we are close to shore.”


Standing there on the open decks, the two knew nothing of what transpired below. 

Listen Bernard (ch. 18)

"Listen, Bernard,” started Mark. “We either go now, or we stay and watch from the sidelines.”


The two stood, eyes squinted, staring into the sun. Looking out over the straits, ships could still be seen passing, train whistles still echoed through the hills, and the planes still roared in the sky - but for how long?


“I don’t think it’s going to come down to the collapse of the transportation system, Mark,” remarked Bernard emphatically.


“There were the strikes just last week, and with the petroleum shortage...” “I don’t buy it,” interrupted Bernard.


“I’m not selling anything, just think about it Bernard.” 

Ambient light (ch. 17)

"why are we listing so badly?” asked one dark figure of another.


The space is near pitch dark, with only a dim glow from placards providing light. Listing strongly to port, the light-less engine room presents itself like a tangly jungle of pipes and valves to the unfamiliar.


“We’ve taken on quite a lot of water,” obviously!


“Are we still taking on water, or has it stopped?”


Climbing from an abyss-like bilge below the deck plates, Francis’ toothy grimace was hidden to all but him.


“Well that all depends, doesn’t it?” 


“What!?”


“Why, you want it to stop? 

Two more runs (ch. 16)

"Do you have everything Sir?” asked the soldier, impatiently.


 “I believe so,” answered Mark cautiously.


“And you Sir?” he asked of Bernard.


“Y-yes, everything I need is here.”


“Now listen, they’ve only guaranteed two more runs of the train to the capital, so there’s no going back,” cautioned the soldier finally.


As the car pulled away from the police station, their escort vehicle followed suit. 


“This is all happening so quickly,” said a nervous Bernard.


“I’m sure it will continue to happen quickly as well.


“Let’s just hope we are on the right side in the end,” finished Mark. 

Useless sap (ch. 15)

Dark and cold, would be the only way to describe the innards of a ship devoid of power. The main generators stopped running fifteen minutes from the first report of flooding, the emergency generator never picked up the load.


“What do you mean the emergency generator never fired off?” asked the furious Captain.


“It didn’t, that’s all I can say.”


“Alright,” attempting to maintain some semblance of calm, “how do we fire it off?”


Nervous and dripping with sweat, the young assistant engineer yielded no reply. 


“So that’s all you have for me?” you useless sap. “Where’s your boss, then?”