CHAPTER 3
MAY 2ND –DAY 30
Matthew woke as the sun peeked over the horizon. The few clouds in the heavens blushed as its rays struck them. Despite the catastrophe the night before, he was awed by its beauty. He looked around and saw nothing but the other lifeboats and the rolling seas on the horizon. He hadn’t expected to see land, but he was still disappointed.
Su Li was asleep on his shoulder, her arm resting on his chest. Someone had covered them with another blanket.
He was emotionally and physically exhausted. How could he have slept after so many had died the night before.
Jeff whispering interrupted his thoughts. “You okay?”
Matthew nodded.
Marie leaned against Jeff. He had his arm around her. She had been awake most of the night.
Matthew wondered if Jeff knew how fortunate he was to have someone like her. He gestured toward Helen and John, who were sleeping. Jeff gave a thumbs-up sign. Su Li began to stir.
The giant sun had almost completed its ascent out of the sea. They wouldn’t last five days in a sun like that, especially without water. Matthew looked at the other lifeboats. Two of them floated very low –full of water, he guessed.
Awake now, Su Li sat up and tucked her blanket tightly around her. Others began to stir. Confused, they looked out at the ocean, but only the sharp line of the horizon met their eyes. Gradually they all turned to focus on Matthew. Realization dawned. They expected him to take the lead.
He panicked. Fire! Fire. Get those planes off the deck! The voices faded and a picture of his wife as she slowly fell to the ground took its place. He struggled to retain his grip on reality and looked toward Su Li. The trusting look in her eyes gave him strength.
“Did anybody check the motor?” he asked. Jeff looked at Rick.
“Steve and I did,” Rick answered. “Somebody scavenged a bunch of parts. Same with the motors in the other boats.”
Matthew looked at him in disbelief. “What about oars?”
“There are two secured in the bow. Same in the others; eight in all.”
“Well, at least we have a homing device.”
“Forget it,” Jeff responded. “Everything has either been removed or damaged. The other boats too.”
“You mean broken as in damaged, or broken as in sabotage?”
Jeff shrugged.
“Something’s wrong here. Klein would never have allowed his ship to leave port without the safety equipment in order.” Matthew turned toward Helen. “Do you have any idea what happened?”
“No. It all happened so fast.”
“How did you get out?”
“John was bringing some snacks to the bridge, and I had some papers for Walter Leary to sign.” Her eyes filled with tears when she mentioned his name. “I don’t know what happened after that.” Her voice cracked.
John put his hand on her arm. She sniffled and tried to smile. He continued for her. “There was so much smoke that we could hardly breathe. We couldn’t even see in front of us. We had to feel our way around. I don’t know how we found the exit. It’s a good thing we were on the main deck. The rest you know.”
“Did the Captain send an SOS?”
John looked at Helen. “I don’t know.”
“What do you think, Su Li?” Matthew asked.
“I do not know.”
Matthew thought for a moment. What was our next port of call?”
“Dakar. Day after tomorrow,” answered Su Li.
“Did the ship hold radio contact with the shore?”
“I don’t know.” She looked at Helen, who shrugged.
Matthew sighed. “Then it looks like we’re going to be stuck together for a while. Did you check the other boats for supplies?”
Jeff answered. “No. We just tried to get the motors going.”
“Maybe we’d better do that.” Jeff nodded and reached for the nearest rope.
He pulled the first boat alongside. It was almost full of water, its contents ruined except for a small cellophane package in the bottom of the boat; a compass. The glass was cracked.
“Just untie it and pull in one of the others,” said Matthew. “Keep the rope and the oars.” Every muscle ached. Just the small act of retrieving the compass caused him to wince with pain.
The next boat contained several blankets sealed in plastic, a rope, prepackaged foods, and some gallon flasks of water, two of which had cracked. The third boat was also full of water, but they recovered more water flasks, more blankets, and another compass.
All told, they had several blankets, food, and thirty, one-gallon flasks of water –a little over one and a half gallons per person. Matthew looked at Su Li before he spoke.
“Normally we should wait for a rescue team to find us. If the Captain got out an emergency call, we would have seen a ship last night, or at least a plane. They might not even know we’re missing yet. If that’s the case, it may be another day before anyone suspects there’s anything wrong.”
After a moment of somber silence, Jeff asked. “You have an alternative?”
“We have to row. If we head east, we’re bound to find something.”
Steve Molleti spoke up. “Are you out of your mind? We could be a hundred miles offshore. Even if we managed five miles a day it would take us forev–”
“Twenty days,” Matthew finished for him. “That’s about how long our water will last. If we wait more than four days, we may not have enough provisions or strength to make it.”
Steve gave his wife a dirty look. “You and your damned trips.” She winced and bowed her head.
“What are our chances if we stay here?” asked Chuck Foster. Matthew shrugged.
“If they got out an SOS, we have a chance. If not, it might be three or four days before they get a search organized. I think the current is carrying us southward. If it’s only two miles an hour, we’ll be almost a hundred miles south in two days. They’ll never find us without a homing device.”
“Well, I think we should stay here,” said Dave Bristol, “and those people better find us.”
“Waddaya gonna do if they don’t? Sue ‘em?” asked Will Masters.
Matthew cut in. “I think we have a better chance if we row. We aren’t going to row out of their search range in the space of a day.”
“We’re dead anyway,” said Robert Davies. “I’d rather spend my last days trying to do something about it than roll over and die.”
“It don’t look like we got much choice,” said Will.
“I agree,” put in Marie. Others muttered their agreement. Dave looked around, indignant, and opened his mouth, but Roberta touched his arm. He glanced at her and stifled his comment.
“Okay, then,” said Matthew. “Let’s try three women and three men on a one-hour shift. If we stagger the men and women on each side, we’ll keep balance. The couple sitting in front can set the pace. If anyone has trouble keeping up with them, say so, and they’ll slow down. The most important thing is to keep moving.”
An hour later Matthew relieved Dave. Helen sat beside him and took Roberta’s place. Su Li looked at Helen’s back for a moment and then sat behind Matthew, and relieved Nancy.
They rowed for a long time in silence.
When her turn at the oar was finished, Helen sat beside John.
“I didn’t thank you for saving my life, Helen.”
“Hey, I didn’t do anything. We were lucky to get out.”
“But you kept your head. I froze.”
“Well, it was a rough experience, but you did all right. We got each other out. It was you that found the exit.”
“Yeah, after you threw me on the floor and made me crawl in front of you. I probably would’ve suffocated with all that smoke. I forgot everything they taught us.”
“I’ll bet you never forget again.” Her teasing brought a smile to his lips.
“No. I don’t think I will.” John paused. “Do you think we’ll get back?”
Helen glanced at Matthew, who sat
on the other side of the boat beside Su Li.
“I think we have a chance. We’re in good hands.” John didn’t miss her glance.
“You like him, don’t you?”
“If you were about ten years older, I’d like you a lot better.”
He smiled.
MAY 3RD –DAY 31
“Time to shift,” said Matthew.
He gave up his oar and went aft to Ron and Doris. Ron seemed withdrawn, removed from what was going on around him. Doris soothed him, talking in soft tones, while she stroked his hair and arms.
Matthew sat on the bench in front of them. “How is he?”
She started to sob. “This is my fault. I pushed him into this.”
“We talked him into this, Doris. Now we have to get him through it.” Doris raised her eyes and met his and nodded.
Matthew directed his attention to Ron. “Ron, listen to me.”
Ron fixed his gaze on Matthew.
“You can get through this, Ron. You’ve done it before.”
Ron began to rock back and forth, his head bobbing. “Fire,” he mumbled. “Fire on deck. Push the planes off. We’re all going to burn. No –No –Noo!” he shouted.
Doris took him in her arms. “It’s okay, Baby. It’s okay.” She shook her head at Matthew trying to get him to stop.
But Matthew didn’t stop. “Ron. We aren’t there anymore. We made it through that. You lived through it, Ron. Do you remember?”
Ron slowly pulled away from Doris. As though in a drunken stupor, he studied Matthew.
“We made it, Chief. We made it. You did a good job. Now we can go home,” Matthew said.
“Home.” Ron looked at Matthew, then at Doris. “Home,” he said again. His gaze shifted to the ocean. “Not home. We’re never going home again.”
Doris began to cry. She reached out and put her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry, Ron. I’m so sorry.”
He gave her a wan smile.
“Ron, listen to me,” said Matthew. “Look at me.”
Ron slowly turned his head toward Matthew as if he had trouble focusing. “We need you, Ron. We needed you on that ship and you came through for us. We need you again, Ron. Help us.”
Ron stared at Matthew. Slowly, recognition flowed into his eyes. “Lieutenant Carlsen?”
Doris started to correct him. “Honey, this is Matthew. He’s–”
She stopped when Matthew shook his head at her.
“You were there,” Ron was saying. “Saved all of us. Saved the ship.”
“You helped, Ron. We couldn’t have done it without you. Now, we just have to do it again.” He paused hoping that would sink in. “We can do it. Together we can do it.”
“Okay, Lieutenant.” Ron gave him a drunken smile. “I’m with you.”
“Good. Maybe you and your wife can row a little. What do you think, Ron? Can you handle it?”
Doris put her hand on his arm. “Matthew–”
He interrupted with a firm voice. “He needs this. He needs a goal and activity. If he can handle it, let him do it.” He looked back at Ron. “What do you say, Ron?”
“Whatever you say, Lieutenant. We’ll get out of this mess.” He turned to his wife. “This is the guy I told you about. We’ll get out of this mess Just listen to him and do what he says. We’ll get out of this mess.”
“Yes,” said Doris, “we’ll do that, Honey.”
Ron moved over to the first bench and took an oar. Doris sat beside him, tears streaming down her face. His first stroke slapped the water. He stopped for a moment and stared at the oar.
“We’ll get out of this mess,” he muttered and tried again, his actions slow and deliberate. The oar cut into the water. He pulled back on it. He continued rowing until he found a rhythm. “We’ll get out of this,” he said again.
“Follow him,” Matthew said to the others. “Let him set the pace. If it’s too hard for anyone, we’ll change places with you.” No one complained. Ron’s pace was easy.
Matthew turned to Doris. “Keep encouraging him. If you need help, call me. We’ll work on it together.” She nodded.
He moved toward the front of the boat and looked at Marie. She held an oar, a puzzled expression was on her face.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
“How’s your head, Jeff?” The small cut had dried to a scab.
“I’m all right. Just a little bump.”
Matthew proceeded to each of the others in the boat. “Don’t waste energy. Nice and easy. Like Ron,” he said loud enough for Ron to hear. He stopped when he got to Rick and Jessica.
“How are you doing?” Matthew asked her.
“Frightened, tired, angry–All of the above. I’d rather not talk about it.”
“That’s all right. Sit it out until you feel better.”
He sat down at the bow and rested his head on the side of the boat, his mind spinning. He thought about the Navy. Sailors did what they had to as long as they had someone to lead them. He was the captain. They were his crew. The easier he made it, the easier it would be to hold them together.
But unfortunately, it was different from the Navy. These people didn’t have the faintest idea of what military discipline was. They needed to be encouraged, and coddled. If he failed to get them to work together, they would die.
He wished he could dump the job on one of the others, but it was clear that they looked to him for leadership. He resented it. His reaction had been automatic, born of his military training. The Forrestal loomed before him; raging fire swept her deck. His wife’s face haunted him through the flames. He still heard the screams.
Please, don’t let me kill them this time. He hoped his despair didn’t show.
His gaze caught Su Li’s. The small smile that he was becoming addicted to touched her lips. He felt comforted and encouraged.
When they shifted places an hour later, Ron refused to move and ignored Doris when she tried to get him to quit.
“Let him be, Doris,” said Matthew gently. “He’s doing fine. He’ll stop when he wants to. Right Ron?”
“Right, Lieutenant. We’ll get out of this mess.”
Su Li coaxed Doris to the stern. She and Marie sat on each side of her and cradled her as she cried.
The next time they shifted places, Ron still refused to move. Matthew remembered Ron’s endurance on the Forrestal. He hadn’t collapsed until everyone was safe. Matthew sat beside him.
They rowed together. shoulders straining against the oars. Matthew tried a different approach.
“It’s been almost thirty years, Ron. A lot’s happened since then.”
Ron kept rowing, eyes focused somewhere on the horizon. Matthew continued.
“You worked on a lot of new equipment for the Navy. I did a few Mediterranean cruises. I even went to the Far East again. Boy! That was something.”
He continued to talk for about five minutes, but Ron didn’t respond. Matthew worried. If Ron didn’t stop rowing, he would keel over from exhaustion. He had to try something else. “I remember that night. I thought we were goners.”
Ron didn’t respond, but his rowing became hesitant.
Matthew pressed on. “The fire was all around us, and all I saw were those planes. I knew they were going to explode. Man, I was so scared.”
Ron stopped rowing and turned slowly toward Matthew. “You? Scared?”
“Of course. I was terrified. I still have nightmares about it.”
“I thought I was going to die. I thought we all were going to die. When we finally got the fire out, I couldn’t believe I was still alive. It hurt so bad. I don’t know how I did it.”
“But you did, Ron. You knew what you had to do and did it.”
“It was you that pulled us through, Lieutenant.”
“I just gave the orders, Ron.”
“No. That’s not true. You got those men out.”
“I couldn’t have got those men out without your help.”
“You got me ou
t. And you helped push the planes overboard.”
“What else was I gonna do? If you had panicked instead of following orders, we might not be here today.”
Ron broke into a derisive laugh. “I’m not sure that’s so great.”
Matthew laughed too. “This is true,” he agreed, then grimaced. “Ron. We did what we had to do then. There were a lot of people depending on us. I’m sorry, but there are people depending on us again. And, I don’t like it any more than you do.”
“Do you think we’ll get out of this, Lieutenant?” Ron asked.
Matthew took a deep breath. “I don’t know. We have to do what we have to do, just like we did back then.”
Ron sat up straighter. “You’re right, Lieutenant. Just give the orders, sir.”
“I’ll do the best I can, Ron.”
“I’m pretty beat, Lieutenant; do you think I could take a break.”
“Go ahead, Ron. I’ll get someone to take your spot. Jeff!”
“Coming.” Jeff came aft and switched with Ron who went to sit beside Doris. He smiled at her and touched her face tenderly with his fingers.
“I’m so sorry, Ron.” She started to cry again.
“It’s okay, Baby. It’s not your fault. We’ll get through this together, huh?” Doris nodded, and he hugged her.
Matthew rose from the seat. “Marie. Switch with me. We can’t have two men setting the pace.”
They switched places and he sat beside Su Li. He smiled at her as they exchanged glances. She smiled back. Jeff and Marie set an easy pace. Su Li seemed to have no trouble keeping up.
“How’re you making out?” he asked her.
“Okay.” She gripped the oar with her small, delicate hands. “I feel I should be doing something to help, but I don’t know what to do.”
“You’re doing fine. We just have to ride this out.”
“Do you think we will make it?”
Matthew looked toward Ron and shrugged. “We have a chance if we can hold everyone together.”
“The most important thing is to give them hope. You are doing well, so far. They have to believe they will survive, and they have to keep active. We must encourage them all the time.”
“There is something you can do. Jessica had a bad experience. She almost went into the ocean last night. I think she needs to talk. Maybe you can help.”
Su Li nodded. “It may not be possible to get anyone to talk. But if you get her husband to row, I will sit with her. The more they are active, the less time they have to think of their situation. Marie did well last night. Maybe she can help.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You must help Doris with Ron. His condition may cause a problem if we cannot control him.”
“I know. What do you think I should do?”
“I do not know. I have been trained to handle panicking passengers. His problem is psychological. Just keep doing what you are doing. It seems to be working.”
He nodded. An hour later, they switched. Matthew and Su Li made their way back to Rick and Jessica.
“Do you think you can take a turn, Rick? Su Li can sit with Jessica if she wants.”
Rick turned to Jessica. “What do you think, Babe?”
“I’ll row with you.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I’ll row with you,” Jessica repeated. Matthew looked at Su Li and she nodded.
“All right, Babe. We’ll sit in front so we can set the pace.” He carefully led the way to the stern. Jessica followed. They sat beside one another and began to row.
“It is best,” said Su Li. “She can vent her anger and frustration on the oar. There will be plenty of time to talk if we survive.”
MAY 4TH –DAY 32
Timothy Brandt sat at his desk in his office at the Washington Post. A newspaper thrown on the floor face up displayed the headlines: EVENING STAR SINKS WITH 800 ABOARD!
A man stuck his head in the door. “Good story, Tim,” he told him. Brandt nodded absently. A woman came in the door soon after. “How ya doing, Timmy.” Leila Brandt’s voice was soft with affection.
Brandt had been a reporter for the Washington Post for a long time. He had written stories that covered many deaths, from conflicts to car accidents, but he had never written one in which a close friend died. He looked at his partner and wife, and he sighed.
“All the tough assignments Matthew’s had. And he has to die while on a pleasure cruise; just when he was getting his life back together.” He sighed again. “What a waste.”
Matthew sat beside John Slater. “How’s it going?”
“All right, I guess.”
“You’re doing a good job.”
“Thanks.”
“Where you from?”
“California. My folks lived in San Bernardino when I was a kid. Then they moved to New York because of my dad’s job.”
“What’s he do?”
“He’s a computer consultant. He does a lot of maintenance work on ships’ computers.”
“Sounds interesting. Didn’t you say you were a computer expert?”
“Yeah. My dad let me work with him sometimes. He taught me everything I know. That’s what I wanted to do on the Evening Star, but I had to sign on as a steward because I didn’t have the formal education. Captain Klein told me I could work with the crew on my free time. He said he would recommend that the company send me to school if I did well. He took an interest in me. I learned a lot after he took over as captain. He was a nice guy. You were buddies in the Navy weren’t you?”
“Yes. I served on the Forrestal and the Columbus with him. He was a great guy. Everybody liked him.”
“I knew one guy who didn’t like him; a Chinese guy; Wu Ching was his name.”
“I met him. Captain Klein said he wasn’t very friendly.”
“He wasn’t. He really hated Su Li. I could see it in his eyes every time he looked at her. He used to get me to go to her if he needed something. He didn’t even like Helen. Can you imagine that? Anyway, he quit the last day we were in port.”
“Quit?”
“I guess so. He never showed up and we had to leave without him. Captain Klein swore he’d never serve on another ship as long as he had anything to say about it.”
MAY 7TH –DAY 35
Su Li pulled on the oar. It slapped the top of the water instead of biting into it. The loss of backpressure almost made her fall backwards over the seat. She grabbed the edge of the lifeboat to break her fall, barely cutting off her cry of pain. Matthew caught her. She gave him a weak smile and started to row again.
They were all exhausted. He studied her for a couple of strokes.
“How’s your wrist?”
“It is okay. I can row.”
“Let me see it.”
“There is nothing wrong. I can row like the others.”
Matthew put down his oar. When he took her wrist, she tried to pull away from him, but the pain was too great. She made no sound as she released the oar. “Marie,” he called softly.
“Coming.”
“It is okay. I can row,” Su Li said doggedly.
“No, you can’t.” She glared at him in defiance. He admired her tenacity.
“Check her wrist,” he said when Marie reached them. “She can’t use it.”
“Right.” Marie put her arm on Su Li’s shoulders.
Su Li resisted. “I can row, like the others.” A tear fell down her cheek. It looked like she was going to break down.
“Come on, Su Li,” encouraged Marie.
“I can row, like the others,” Su Li repeated, but she allowed Marie to draw her to the back of the boat.
After his turn at the oar, Matthew made his way to where she sat. He sat beside her. “How are you doing?”
She didn’t look up when she spoke. He knew what the reply would be. “I can row like the others.”
“No, you can’t. You might do permanent damage to your wrist. Then you won’t be of any use to us at all.”
“I am no good
to anyone.” Her voice was so low that he almost didn’t hear her.
“Su Li.” Pause. “Su Li.” He waited until she raised her head and met his eyes. “We need you.”
“I cannot row.” She tried to look away, and he touched her cheek, forcing her to hold his gaze.
“Rowing is the least of our problems, Su Li. What’s we really need is help to keep up our morale, and that’s what you are good at. That’s more important than your physical strength. But, we may need your physical strength later. You need to rest and give yourself time to heal.”
He willed his eyes to say what he couldn’t say aloud. I need you. I can’t do this alone.
Su Li closed her eyes, and blinked back the tears. When she opened them, their dark luster had returned.
“Okay. I will rest. Then I will row.”
He laughed. “Okay. Then you row.”
MAY 8TH –DAY 36
The President studied the man sitting in the easy chair in front of his desk, the only person the President knew that could make that chair look uncomfortable. “Do you think it is possible to negotiate with them, Admiral?”
Admiral Williams brushed away an invisible fleck on the visor of the cap he’d been twisting in his hands and looked up. “I’m pretty sure of it, Mr. President. My sources say they’re willing to deal with us.”
“And just what is this going to cost us?” The admiral knew that the President wasn’t talking about money.
“We’ll have to help keep the current regime in power, sir.”
“And you consider that good? They’re terrorists.”
“True. But we might be able to get them to ease off if we give them some support.”
“It sounds more like blackmail to me. Why not just discontinue support? Better yet, why not get rid of them? It’s been done before.”
“We know what we have right now, Mr. President. If one of the opposing groups gains power, they might step up terrorist activities.”
The President thought for a moment. “We don’t deal with terrorists. That’s been a long standing policy.”
Admiral Williams looked intently at him. “The American people are getting a little tired of this, Mr. President. They want to see terrorism stopped, and they’re already talking about electing someone who is willing to take the necessary steps to do it.”
The threat angered the President. “Just how long have you been placating these spoiled brats, Admiral?”
“You’re new to this, Mr. President. and these things take time.”
The President disliked being patronized even more than being threatened. “I don’t agree with you, Admiral. But I imagine the others of the Joint Chiefs do.”
“With all due respect, sir, we have been doing this for a while.”
“Yes, Admiral. I’ve seen the results. Maybe the American people should begin to elect their Joint Chiefs of Staff as well as their Presidents.” He smiled as he thought about that.
“As I said, sir, things like this take time.” Admiral Williams looked unruffled.
“Very well, Admiral, but if this becomes a public scandal, I guarantee I’m not going to be left holding the bag.”
“I understand, sir.” The admiral understood perfectly. The President didn’t take responsibility for anything unless it paid off. He left that dirty work for others. The admiral didn’t intend to be one of them. He stood up smartly and left.
The President of the United States didn’t trust Admiral Williams. He would have to watch his back.
MAY 10TH –DAY 38
Ron continued to take his turn rowing, stopping only when he was too tired to go on. After each session, he sat on the floor and stared toward the horizon. Matthew involved him in discussions about what they would do when they reached land.
Su Li watched Matthew during one of their conversations. The warm smile Matthew gave Ron was for her. The praise he gave Ron filled her heart with confidence. The encouraging touch on the man’s arm lifted her spirits.
Embarrassed, she looked away. They were in the middle of the ocean, with little chance of survival, and she was dreaming about falling in love. When she looked back, Matthew was watching her. He smiled and she felt the warm flush creep down her neck to her stomach. Right then, she wanted so much to survive.
Marie sat beside her. “How’s your wrist?”
“Much better.”
“Just make sure you take it easy.” Su Li nodded. Marie lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’ve been trying to talk to Shirley. She’s very shy, and I think I scare her. Would you try talking to her?” Marie could be anything she needed to be –tough or soft. It was probably just a trick to keep Su Li involved. She smiled and nodded. It was a good trick.
Shirley was a pretty woman, a little taller than Su Li and pleasantly plump. Su Li sat beside her without looking at her, and gave her time to adjust. After a few minutes, Su Li spoke in a soft voice.
“You are very quiet.”
Shirley took time to answer. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Hmm. I too find it difficult to talk to people.”
Shirley seemed surprised. “You do?”
“I was very shy when I was younger. It was difficult for me to talk to people, even people I knew.”
“I don’t believe that. You can talk to anyone.”
“Only because I had to. I taught school in China and Hong Kong, and I was forced to talk to the students. But I had problems for many years after I moved to the United States. When I became a cruise director on the ship, the company gave me courses on how to relate to passengers, so I had to fight my shyness. My teachers were very patient with me, and I learned. It is still difficult, but I manage.”
“How do you do it?”
“I try to get people to talk about themselves, so I don’t have to talk much. I try not to ask personal questions, just questions that I would not mind someone asking me. Let me show you. Do you have any children?”
“Two girls.”
“What are their names?”
“Janet and Darlene. Darlene’s the oldest.”
“How old are they?”
“Janet is fifteen and Darlene is seventeen. She’ll be going into the twelfth grade this year, and Janet will be in the eleventh. She’s so smart. She skipped a grade. That’s why they are only one year apart in school.”
Su Li smiled. “See how easy it is? I got you to tell me a little about yourself, and you told me enough so I could ask another question. What do your children want to do with their lives?”
“Darlene wants to be a veterinarian and Janet wants to be a doctor.”
“A doctor? That is a challenging field for a woman.”
“Yes, but I think she is serious about it. We would have to help her of course, but –.” Shirley faltered and became quiet.
“You are afraid you will not see them again.” Shirley didn’t answer. “I, too, am afraid.”
“Are you really?”
“Of course. I am afraid that I may not see my mother and father again, and that I may not die with honor and dignity.”
“But you don’t look afraid.”
“I have to deal with my fear, just like everyone else. Just like you.”
“But you manage. I can’t.”
“Everyone feels the same. We all have someone we may never see again. But as long as we are alive, we have a chance to get home. It will be easier if you try to keep your mind on something positive, like what you are going to do when you get home. Encourage and help others. Then it will be harder to think about your own problems. We need each other.”
“I don’t think I can help anyone.”
“That is not true. You have been through a difficult experience, but you are enduring, and that will help others to endure. If you quit, they may want to quit. You must find a way that works for you. Are you as shy with your husband as you are with others?”
“No –well, sometimes.”
“Talk to him; encourage him. He needs you just as much as you ne
ed him. You can help each other.”
“I’ll try.”
Su Li squeezed her arm and smiled.
Sleep became an escape from hopelessness and despair. During waking moments, they stared out over the ocean. Morale was slipping. Despair was beginning to show in the frowns on their faces. They hadn’t seen a ship. They hadn’t even seen a bird. They were a long way from shore.
MAY 17TH –DAY 45
Captain Lawrence Bradley stood on the bridge. He had never been on a ship as small as the USS Washington. He and his Executive Officer, Paul Tarrell been assigned three days ago. They were totally unfamiliar with her.
The XO met with him in the captain’s quarters. “Do you know what’s going on, Captain?”
“No idea. There isn’t a single man in the whole crew who’s been assigned for more than four days. Only two have been on a ship of this size.”
“What do you think they’re doing?”
“According to my orders, this is an exercise to determine how well a crew is able to man an unfamiliar ship in a wartime situation.”
“That’s what my orders said, but it’s stupid. They’ve got a whole navy to choose from. They could at least have given us men who are familiar with small destroyers.”
“I don’t understand it myself. But we set sail this evening, so we’d better hop to it. We’ve got a lot of things to check out before we go.”
“I don’t know how we’re gonna get it done. We’re gonna end up out in the middle of the ocean missing something important.”
“Maybe that’s the reason for the exercise.”
MAY 22ND –DAY 50
The sun started its long trek over the sky. A new and smiling Ron greeted the group in the lifeboat.
“Hi, people. Welcome to the new age.” Everyone stared. “I’m all right.” He stared back at them.
Matthew moved closer. “Are you sure?”
“Look, Matthew. We’re not gonna make it out of this mess. And if I’m gonna die, I’m gonna do it with a sound mind. My wife deserves it.”
Matthew chuckled. “Okay, Ron. You can skip your turn at the oars.”
“No, Matthew. I’ll row just like everyone else; if it’s the last thing I’m gonna do, I’m gonna do it with dignity.”
He moved to take his place at the oar. Sitting where Ron usually sat, Carl looked at Matthew. Had Ron lost it? Matthew nodded at Carl. He didn’t see madness in Ron’s eyes, but there was something.
Ron smiled. “I’ve been calling you ‘Lieutenant’, haven’t I? Sorry about that, Captain.”
Matthew’s worried look turned into a smile. Give him the oar, Carl.”
Doris joined her husband., sat by his side, and took up her oar. Ron began to sing. “Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…” Doris leaned against him. and looked up at him. Ron took her arm. “Sing with me, Doris.”
He gave her a reassuring look and started singing again. He had a nice tenor voice. “Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream…”
Doris sang the round with him, her voice hesitant.” Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.”
Ron started over.
Marie joined in the third round. “Come on,” she called to the others. Some women began to sing. Although embarrassed, Matthew also began to sing, which prompted the other men to sing as well. He watched Ron as he sang and wondered how his friend was really doing.
The singing died down after a few rounds. When everyone stopped, Ron finished the round, and then became quiet for a few minutes. Then he started a new song.
By the light
Of the silvery moon
I want to spoon
With my honey I’ll sing love’s tune.
Marie took up the next stanza, until this song, too, died, and there was only silence, broken by the occasional slap of an oar hitting the water.
When they shifted places, their movements were slow, sluggish. Matthew was afraid that they would give out before their provisions did. Even Su Li and Marie were listless. Su Li looked at him with questions in her eyes. He had no more answers.
He wondered what to do next when Nancy sat up and pointed. “Look!” He turned and saw the island.
The captain of the Seaview poured another cup of coffee. The course he was on didn’t make sense. They were supposed to be heading to Dakar off the northwestern coast of Africa, but his orders had directed him to sail the ship southward along the coast to Florida before he changed course eastward. Almost eight hundred extra miles, a waste of time and precious fuel.
He shouldn’t complain. He was being well paid. Besides, there were other problems. They’d lost power to the deck lights. Even the emergency lights were out. There was a break in the cables, but his crew couldn’t find it.
There was more than one power cable to the lights. How could they all go out at once? Without running lights on a night like this, his ship was virtually invisible. Good thing they had radar.
Captain Bradley, drinking his nth cup of coffee, sat on the bridge of the USS Washington. They were about a hundred fifty miles off the Florida coast. Tomorrow he would take the ship around the peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico.
“Status, radar.”
“Nothin’, Cap’n.”
“Hmm.” They hadn’t seen anything for the whole evening. There was always some kind of traffic.
“Do a diagnostic check.”
“Yes, sir.” He waited while the sailor checked out the system. “Everything checks out, sir.”
“Very well.” Bradley was still nervous. Normal. Everything was normal, as normal as it could be with an untrained crew, and with some of the most essential equipment on a warship missing.
Not only that, a heavy cloud cover made them physically blind. You couldn’t see your hand in front of your face on the decks in the black night. They were missing night binoculars from their inventory and were totally dependent on radar. He considered ordering the deck watches below. They couldn’t see anything anyway.
It was 2150, about two hours left for the current watch. They were playing war games and sailed without running lights. That, too, was odd, since there weren’t any military vessels in the vicinity.
Five thousand yards away, on the bridge of another ship, three men were watching a radarscope. Randolph Johnson looked over Frank Wadding’s shoulder at the two blips that were approaching one another. Frank had drawn the courses of each ship on the scope with a yellow crayon. They would pass one another about five hundred yards apart.
“Let’s do it,” said Johnson. He went to the computer console and pressed a button.
A window popped up, and showed a picture of two ships, each with a name underneath. He clicked on the name SEAVIEW and selected the menu item PROGRAM. A menu popped up on the screen.
He selected NAVIGATION and selected course and speed from the menu choices. The computer’s time was 2152. Johnson set the time for execution to 2157 and clicked download.
A dialog box displayed the words DOWNLOADING, followed by another box that said DOWNLOAD COMPLETE. He clicked the close button. Then he clicked on the name WASHINGTON. Under the PROGRAM choice, he selected RADAR.
A picture of a ship’s radar system appeared. He selected STATUS. A menu opened with two choices, NORMAL and OVERRIDE. He chose NORMAL. The phony USS Washington would now be able to see with her own radar.
He set the start time for 2157 and clicked download. They should have enough time to find cover before the actual collision. It would be tight, but he didn’t want to take any chances that they found the overrides.
“Okay. Now, we wait.”
Everyone gaped in disbelief. They were seeing things. No, it really was an island. Matthew studied it intently.
“It’s about twenty miles away. The current is pulling us south, so we’ll have to keep the boat on a northerly course. Stay with the pace, but don’t row hard. We need to save our strength for a last spurt, if necessary.”
They rowed, shifting places wh
en they were tired. After several hours, the island became noticeably larger. The last half-hour was the hardest. A strong current pulled them west of the island. Everyone manned or shared an oar. They all pulled hard, mindless of the tiredness and the aches and pains, but they were weak.
Matthew shouted. “Pull, damn it! Pull!”
“We are pulling!” Jeff shouted back.
“Then pull harder.”
The men glared at him; nonetheless, they pulled harder.
The beach got nearer. Ten feet from the shore, the boat bottomed and refused to move. Matthew jumped into the waves.
“Come on, we have to pull the boat in to shore! Come on! Everybody!”
They pulled, pushed, fell into the water, got up, and pushed again. Finally, they hauled the boat partway out of the water. They collapsed, exhausted, on the beach.
The captain of the Seaview stifled another yawn and checked his watch: 2155. In another few minutes, he would turn in. There was a ship off their starboard about a thousand yards. At their present course, his ship would pass about five hundred yards astern of the other ship.
“Helm, what’s our present course?”
“One-eight-five, sir.”
“Radar, status on that ship.” He waited while the radar station checked out the numbers.
“Ship is bearing one-four-zero, sir. Eight hundred yards, speed twenty knots.”
“Change course to one-eight-zero, drop speed to ten knots until that ship is past. Then change course back to one-eight-five, speed fifteen knots.”
“Changing course to one-eight-zero, speed ten knots,” acknowledged the helmsman.
That should give them a good wide berth.
Matthew rolled onto his stomach and struggled to push himself off the sand. He staggered to the boat and tied one of the ropes to the bow ring. Then, he secured the other end to a palm tree twenty feet away. That should keep the tide from taking it.
He sat down with his back to the tree. They had made it. They had actually made it. They even had a little food and water left. He shambled over to the others who were lying on the beach. The hard rowing had sapped their strength. No one moved.
“Hey!” The shouting had made him hoarse. He cleared his throat. “Hey! Come on, people. We have to get the provisions out of the boat.” He walked over to Su Li and reached down to her.
“Come on, Su Li.” She responded by rolling onto her back. He moved on to the next person.
“Come on,” he urged. Jeff tried to get up. Not succeeding, he rolled over. Matthew moved on to the next person. Ron pushed up into a sitting position and looked around. Although he seemed dazed, Matthew saw no madness in his eyes.
“We have to get the boat up on land.”
“I’ve tied it off. But we’ll need the supplies.”
Considering his own debilitated state, Matthew was surprised at Ron’s strength. Ron walked over to the boat and began to unload what was left of the water and food. He walked past the others as he carried the provisions farther up the beach.
“Come on,” he commanded harshly. “Let’s move it.” Returning with two flasks, he gave one to Matthew and took the other to his wife. He lifted her gently into a sitting position and gave her a little of the water.
“Easy. Just relax and sip.” He gave her a little more, and then turned to help one of the other women. Matthew followed his example with Su Li.
“Come on.” He held her with one arm, and pressed a little water to her lips. Then he walked with her to the shade at the edge of the beach. He sat her against one of the trees and returned to help another.
The captain of the Seaview looked at his watch; it was 2157. Thinking his evening was over, he stood up and was about to say good night.
“Captain,” The helmsman reported, “The helm isn’t responding, sir.”
What the –? The captain, still standing, took the ship’s intercom. “Maintenance, report to the bridge immediately. Control room! Report!”
“Aye, Captain.”
“We’ve lost control of the helm,” said the helmsman.”
“Go to manual override.”
“Aye, sir. Going to manual override.”
There was an explosion in the bow area of the ship right below the bridge. The bridge heaved and the captain was thrown to the deck.
“Captain there has been an explosion on the ship,” shouted the intercom.
“You think?” He replied sarcastically.
“Sir, we’ve lost control of the diesels. We’re picking up speed,” shouted the helmsman. The intercom cut in.
“Control room to bridge. Manual override has failed. Helm is not responding. Recommend engine shutdown.”
“Shut it down! Shut it down!” yelled the captain, but he couldn’t reach the intercom. He was still trying to get off the deck. The helmsman reached for the intercom.
“Ship off the starboard bow!” yelled someone. “Collision course. Full astern! Full astern!”
“We’ve lost control!” shouted the intercom.
“We’re gonna hit!”
Seaman First Class Case yawned. It must be about 2200. His evening watch would be over in about two hours. This was one of the weirdest watches he’d ever stood. Some jerk had forgotten to include the night binoculars in the ship’s inventory, so they were totally dependent on radar. It was so black, he could barely see his hand in front of his face.
The Captain had almost had a kid when he’d heard that. Somebody’s head would roll when they got back to port. He checked in. “Case here; I can’t see a thing.”
Although they had radar, the navy required that the deck be manned with watches, especially during exercises. This was more for the sake of safety than for protection from other ships. If a man should go overboard, radar would never see it, but the deck watch might.
Case heard something off to port. He peered into the darkness but couldn’t see a thing. Come on, Case. You’re imagining things. He tried to relax, but a nagging feeling ate at him.
He shivered and recalled being afraid of the dark as a child. He’d always had a night light in his bedroom. In the dark, all sorts of bogeymen waited to get at him. He remembered diving underneath the bedcovers. It was even darker under the covers, but that was okay. At least the bogeymen couldn’t see him. Once more he shivered and longed for his bedcovers.
“Case here. I hear something off the port bow, but I can’t make out what it is. You got anything, radar?”
“Nothing, Case. You’re hearing things.”
There! The sound again. “Case here. I’m telling you, I hear something. It sounds like it’s at ten o’clock.” He strained to see something –anything, just to quiet the nagging in his gut.
The radar screen on the phony USS Washington flickered. The seaman at the scope blinked, so he didn’t see it. It was a few seconds before he reacted. The scope was set at five thousand yards, so he hit the switch to increase the resolution. He almost panicked at what he saw. He didn’t have time to figure out the data.
“Ship off the port bow! Collision course! She’s right on top of us.”
“All back!” shouted the captain. “Hard to starboard.”
The helm responded immediately. The ship began to vibrate with the stress of the propellers, but there was no time.
“Get the running lights on. Hit the claxons. All men get off the decks.”
The ship lit up like a Christmas tree. The deafening blare of the claxons drowned out the quiet hum of the ship’s engines.
Case felt the ship start to vibrate. He heard an explosion. Suddenly the lights went on and blinded him. A foghorn blew. Then the claxons on his ship sounded, and he saw her.
“Ship off the port bow,” he screamed into the sound-powered telephone. “She’s coming right at us.”
His earphones shouted at him. “Get out of there, Case! We’re gonna hit!”
Case threw off his phones without bothering to acknowledge. He ran to the first hatch, jumped into it and lay on the deck. He cramped
his body up against the wall so he wouldn’t get thrown around. The ships collided with the sickening sound of metal tearing metal. His head hit the wall. He saw stars and bit his tongue.
The Seaview struck the phony USS Washington half way between amidships and the bow. Her bow was locked in the gaping hole she had torn in the other ship, which held her afloat as they came to rest. The captain had never got off the deck before the ships collided.
The orders blared from speakers on the other ship. “Abandon ship! Abandon ship! All crew, report to lifeboats. Abandon ship.”
The captain of the Seaview gave the orders to send an SOS, and then ordered the crew to abandon ship. The deafening claxons from the other ship made him feel like he was at war.
He and his crew launched the lifeboat and rowed a safe distance away. They and the crew of the Washington watched as the Washington exploded first, followed by the Seaview. Ripped to pieces, in less than three minutes, both ships were gone.
Five thousand yards away, three men looked at one another in satisfaction. Most had likely survived, and the SOS had been sent.
Set course for Africa, gentlemen,” commanded Johnson. “I’m going to get a little sleep.”
“Aye, sir,” said Mike.
The real USS Washington, aka Bright Moon set course for the African coast.