* * *
It was Tauranga again and that meant another great lunch in one of those trendy restaurants and chilling out on the beach.
Denise was stuck in the office because Kate had decided to review a few things that were working just fine before she reorganized them. There was a high possibility they wouldn’t be working that well afterward but Kate’s purpose was not to make anything better. All she wanted was to mark the territory and get everyone to understand she was in charge. Diego was doing some lifeboat training after the drill and Ian was too tired from working all night so he went to sleep.
Sofia found herself with a few new faces in the group. Tania who now worked days and needed to socialize and Aaron brought his new girlfriend and another girl, from the shops. The girls, Anna and Tara, were a few years younger than the others and they showed a bit of discomfort at first.
The doctor found it a bit strange that Aaron suddenly had a girlfriend. A week ago they were not even dating and now he was walking the streets hand in hand with her. None of their friends had ever heard a word about this girl or his interest in her. Sofia felt relieved that they could be just friends and that he had a new distraction. She hoped it would work out for Aaron. She really wanted his happiness.
After lunch in a Thai restaurant they put the beach towels borrowed from the ship on the sand and enjoyed the sun that emerged underneath the clouds above the beach.
“This is almost like being on holidays.” Tara said, trying to make some conversation with the people she didn’t know.
“Holiday for three hours.” Keira agreed with a sardonic smile.
Sofia turned around and put some sunscreen just in case the sun was stronger than it looked like.
“Wouldn’t it be great to get at least one day off a month? I wouldn’t even ask for more than that, but at least one day without worrying what time we have to be back onboard.” Aaron observed hugging his new girlfriend with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“In your dreams! I heard they are talking about increasing our hours.” Anna informed.
“That’s insane. I already work three hundred hours a month, sometimes more. If they change the contracts I’ll get another job. As much as I like this life, enough is enough.” Aaron replied.
“At least we only open the shops after the ship sails and even when we have to check the stocks we still get good time off in port.” Tara said, opening her mouth for the first time since they had finished lunch.
“Yes, you, the Spa and the medics at least get some decent breaks, even when you have to finish later. Most departments work complicated schedules and as much as we try to make it better it’s necessary to do things that way. For example the guys in the technical department only have half a day off every two weeks. The remaining time they work all morning, get two hours off for lunch and then the entire afternoon. They never see past the terminal. The bridge guys have four hours shifts a few times a day but then they get drills and trainings all the time too. Andrea told me yesterday that he hasn’t left the ship in two months. But I think the worst is for the waiters. They work at least eleven hours a day, many times more and one day a week they work eight hours; that’s what they call a day off. And their contracts are at least seven months long.” Aaron reminded.
“I’m happy to be a nurse.” Keira murmured.
Coastal clouds slowly began to roll across the sky, splashing it with shades of gray.
Aaron looked at his watch and shrugged. “Ladies, I regret to announce that we only have another half an hour in this lovely beach because I don’t know about you, but I need to be back in the office at three and those clouds are getting darker.”
As soon as they reached the entrance of the port they saw the police cars and people everywhere. A crowd of passengers and crew waited right outside the ship, many of them seating on the floor. The place looked like a circus and even a television station van was there.
“What’s going on?”
Sofia went forward to the entrance, and showed her ID to one of the guards. She tried to find out why there were hundreds of people waiting outside.
“Bomb scare.” The guard answered coolly. “The captain gave orders not to allow anyone in until it’s sorted out.”
She returned to her friends and gave them the news.
“Looks like we’re getting a bit more time off after all.” Keira joked.
Knowing it was most likely just a scare and nothing serious would come out of it, Aaron, Tara and Anna went get ice cream while Sofia and Keira waited to see if there were any developments. At one point they saw one of the guys from the tour office doing what looked like crowd control. Sofia went to talk to him.
“Hey, what’s going on? A guard told me there’s a bomb scare.”
Shane recognized her immediately. “Hi doc. Yes, it seems there was some sort of security breach a couple of hours ago and some unidentified objects were found onboard. First we had to do a full search of the ship, then the captain decided that whoever is onboard stays there and no one else will be allowed in until we are sure there’s no danger. A team of divers was just called to check outside the ship in the water. It might be a few hours before we get clearance.” He elucidated.
“Can I use your radio?”
Sofia changed the radio to channel one and called Ryan to check if she and Keira should get back onboard. After all, there were many people left there and if a medical emergency took place Ryan would need help. He called the captain and got permission for the doctor and the nurse to board the ship. Sofia and Keira were escorted by security up the gangway under the curious gaze of many passengers and crew who waited patiently outside. From the entrance it was easier to get an idea of the dimension of the ordeal. Not only there were many passengers and crew on the pier, but a huge crowd of curious watchers had gathered meanwhile. The ship’s security and shore side authorities tried to keep the order and the tour office team talked to the passengers to give them updates and keep them calm.
When Sofia and Keira arrived in the medical center all the crew were still doing searches in some parts of the vessel. The orders from the captain were that every little corner of the ship had to be checked and any unknown objects found to be immediately reported.
Room stewards were told to check passenger’s cabins, but many passengers also volunteered to help, which made the process quicker. Passengers loved to feel useful in emergency situations.
The front desk was hammered with phone calls and Denise brought in her entire team to assist the passengers onboard. The ship became an organized chaos.
Three objects were reported but they proved to be a wet towel wrapped inside a paper bag, a box with food that someone left behind and a backpack that was likely to end up in lost and found. It still took a couple of hours for the divers to check underwater and it was only around six o’clock that the people outside were allowed to return onboard and the ship obtained clearance to sail. Slowly everything returned to normal.
Denise, Kate and Leah managed to put their personal feelings aside for a few more hours and stayed by the reception area helping with passengers. It turned out that things didn’t go that bad and most people did the same as every day: dressed up and went for dinner. No one was hurt or traumatized and by eight that evening the Ocean Pearl was the same as in any other night.
“And they didn’t complain?” Sofia asked when they went for dinner in the officer’s mess.
Denise chuckled. “Complain? Of course not. They loved it! After all there was no reason for panic, there was no bomb onboard and now they all have an exciting story to tell their friends when they go home.”
“People are so funny. How did this happen anyway?”
“It looks like one of the security guards outside let a stranger in, this guy ran through a gangway into the ship and our security couldn’t get their hands on him. A few minutes later he ran out through the other gangway.”
“That’s surreal. Was he caught?”
“Yes. The poli
ce ashore took him into custody. It was a bet with his friends. But of course we have to follow procedure. With all the terrorist threats happening these days we can’t be too careful. So far cruise ships haven’t been attacked precisely because security is so tight.” Denise replied.
“And we had police and divers, a full ship’s inspection and hundreds of people waiting outside because of a bet?”
“Yes.”
“I hope he realizes the trouble he caused during his nights in jail.” Sofia said.
“Either that, or they could send him in to clean the ship deck by deck from one end to the other for about two months. That would teach him a lesson.” Amy suggested and everyone agreed with her.
Sofia disappeared into the medical center to attend a passenger who wasn’t feeling well and Denise was sitting in the wardroom bored to death, trying to finish her second glass of vanilla vodka. Diego was right in front of her playing darts and the one moment he looked at her she rolled her eyes in a way that made any words unnecessary. He sat next to her for a second.
“I guess that means you don’t really want to be here.”
“You’re a genius!” She said with sarcasm.
“Came on Denise. Don’t be like that.”
“Sorry honey, but I can think of a few other things I could be doing with you right now rather than seeing you and your friends throwing darts at that stupid piece of wood on the wall.”
He frowned. “All right. Let me just finish this game and we’ll be out of here and do whatever you like. Would that be okay?”
“Sure. But please don’t take too long.” She said a bit happier but not entirely convinced.
While Diego missed his last six shots she observed the people in the bar. Everybody was drinking, including her. It was like drinking was the official religion onboard. People did it regularly, with devotion and blind faith that something was going to change if they kept the liquid pouring down.
When they left, Denise felt relieved. The regulars stayed in the bar as they normally did. The remaining of the night would be as any other day. The alcohol would start making effect and everyone would think they were a lot funnier than they actually were. After a while they would get tired or bored and go to bed. The next day it started all over again.
Diego walked with her silently to the cabin. Although he didn’t say anything she had the sense that he would have been happier if she had left the wardie by herself. She tried to brush away that idea and how it made her feel that her boyfriend enjoyed that dreadful place more than being with her. The thought sent a chill from the top of her head all the way to the tip of her toes. She felt empty inside.
14
Ryan made a deal with Sofia in Christchurch. She got some extra time off and he would get more days off the following cruise because it was his last cruise and his wife would be onboard so he wanted time to enjoy the ports with her. Sofia was happy to accept the deal and organized a visit to the International Antarctic Centre with Keira. They invited Mary as well but she had made plans to go skydiving, which didn’t surprise them anymore because they knew her, but it was a wonder that a woman her age did things that many younger people were afraid to try.
First they took the shuttle bus from the ship to town and from the Cathedral Square they got the Penguin Express, a small bus decorated with penguins that made the trip to the Antarctic Centre several times a day.
The Antarctic Centre was one of New Zealand’s most known attractions and had been considered the best by many visitors. Sofia and Keira bought an all-day pass and started the visit by reading in the big board at the entrance that many Antarctic missions were organized from the Christchurch International Airport and the Antarctic Centre was designed to bring a memorable experience of Antarctica to the visitors.
They learned that Antarctica is the coldest, windiest and highest continent on earth. Like an ice desert, Antarctica is drier than the Sahara, with annual precipitation of only 200mm (8 inches) along the coast and a lot less inland. There are no permanent human residents but usually there are from 1000 to 5000 people who live there throughout the year in research stations scattered across the continent.
They were told that the coldest temperature ever recorded in Antarctica was -89.2ºF and that Antarctica is twice the size of Australia, sixty times bigger than New Zealand and occupies the same area as Europe and the Mediterranean Sea together.
One of the coolest things in the Centre was the Antarctic Storm – the world’s first indoor storm. In the Snow & Ice Experience they re-created the atmosphere in Antarctica, including the temperatures. Warm jackets and overshoes were provided to the visitors who then went inside and for a few minutes experienced how it would be like to be in Antarctica in the middle of a storm. The room had snow on the floor, the walls were decorated with pictures of glaciers and mountains covered in ice and there were some hills made of ice where a number of visitors took pictures. As the lights were dimed they were blown by 40 km per hour winds. Blizzard audio was played to make it feel more real and the big thermometer on the wall went down to -13ºF.
The experience of only a few minutes was hallucinating and Sofia and Keira were freezing even with the jackets on and when the wind stopped blowing the two of them ran to the exit, shivering. While they returned jackets and boots, a member of the staff reminded them that the penguins endure those conditions for months in a row, while humans nearly die with only a few minutes.
“Strong birds.” Keira observed.
“Yes they are. I almost couldn’t stand it and I saw a few people escaping through the side door way before it was over. It was freezing in there. No wonder no one lives in Antarctica.” Sofia was still feeling cold.
“It’s great that no one lives there. Maybe that way the poor penguins actually manage to survive our nasty influence.”
A staff member was right next to them and answered her comment. “It would be great if it could be like that, but unfortunately it isn’t. Humans are changing the weather so fast that many species don’t have time to adapt and avoid extinction. There’s a researcher named Bill Fraser who’s been down in Antarctica for many years. He tracked the decline of the Adelie penguins from 32.000 breeding pairs to 11.000 only in thirty years.
“That’s incredible.” Sofia said. “I know that the poles are melting quickly but I didn’t realize that the penguin population was already suffering so much.”
The guy nodded with the sad expression of someone who was well aware of reality. “The average winter temperatures in the west Antarctica have risen nearly 5 degrees Celsius in the past half century. Worldwide the temperatures have warmed slower, not even one degree, but it’s a lot more drastic in the poles. Even that small change is affecting the natural world deeply.” He confirmed.
“It’s incredible how we keep ruining the planet and nothing is done to fix it!” Keira retorted.
“It’s not like nothing is being done. The Antarctic Treaty has already been signed by forty six countries that agreed to prohibit the presence of military activities or mining and support scientific research and protect the continent’s ecozone. The problem is that everywhere else changes are too fast and what’s been done to avoid the problems caused by global warming can’t compete with the speed that global warming is changing the planet.”
Sofia and Keira followed their group to the other major attractions in the center: the Penguin Encounter. Like the name said, it was a meeting point with the Little Blue Penguin - the world smallest penguin. There was a Bank Peninsula natural themed environment with a pool where the penguins could be seen from two levels while they swam and jumped out of the rocks. The Little Blue penguin was only found in Australia and New Zealand and the penguins held in the Centre were birds that had been rescued.
“They are not blue.” Keira observed, looking through the thick glass on the lower floor.
“Look, when they swim and the sun light hits them there’s a bluish color reflecting.” Sofia pointed.
“True
. Cute little things, aren’t they?”
“Adorable.”
Having paid for the full pass the two friends were entitled to a backstage experience with penguins and had a brief direct contact with them.
“Cool.” Sofia said. “Now I have a picture with a koala, a baby croc and a little penguin. This is really awesome.”
Keira nodded and smiled at her enthusiasm while they prepared for the next part of the visit. “Yes, there has to be some compensation when you work on ships. Put the pictures on the wall in your cabin and remember the good moments next time you have a passenger throwing up on your feet.” She suggested with a wink.
The last part of the visit was also the more exciting: the Hagglund ride. Hagglund was the name of the all-terrain vehicles used by the scientists in Antarctica and this was the only place in the world where that experience was available.
The ride lasted nearly fifteen minutes and it recreated the same travelling conditions that exist in Antarctica. The trip was an exhilarating experience that took them over mounds, a crevasse, speeding across open ground and through a pond of water nearly as deep as the high of the vehicle, all happening at the same time the driver gave an entertaining and fun commentary.
In the gift shop Sofia bought some amazing postcards and a stuffed penguin that she named Kieran. Keira bought a cute baby seal to use as a pillow and decorate her room.
“Are you going to sleep with it?” Keira asked looking at the penguin.
“Probably.” She giggled and hugged the stuffed penguin.
“Sure. And why don’t you just call Keiran and get things straight with him?”
“He slept with another woman! I’m not going to crawl after him.” Sofia replied annoyed.
“You don’t need to crawl. Just talk to him at least. Tell him how you feel.” Keira suggested.
“I don’t want to talk to him. Let’s go on the Hagglund again. It’s a lot more fun than talking about Kieran.” Sofia took Keira’s hand and pulled her back to another ride, ignoring her disapproving gaze. The nurse knew it was pointless to argue. She would have to take the steps whenever she felt ready.
It took Sofia a while to worry about Kieran again. There was nothing from him on her emails and Ailish informed her that his car had been missing from the usual spot in the parking lot. She hadn’t seen him in a few days.
Sofia was getting worried. What if something had happened to him? He was a workaholic. His car was a permanent resident in the parking lot of the hospital. If it hadn’t been there for a few days that could be bad news. She swallowed her pride and called him. He picked up almost immediately.
“Hi. It’s Sofia.” She said.
“Hi Sofia, how are you?” He asked cheerfully.
She paused. That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting from him. “I’m okay and you?”
“Surprised. Didn’t expect to hear from you. Is everything all right?” He replied in a soft voice.
“Ailish said she hasn’t seen you in a while. I was worried.”
“I’m fine. Just took a few days off. I’m driving through the country. The therapist says it’s good for me.” He explained.
Sofia could hardly believe that. “I don’t know what is the most amazing thing: you taking days off or you out of the city.”
“I thought you would be happy to know I’m doing what the therapist said.”
“I am happy, but it’s still a surprise. I am glad you’re okay…”
Sensing she was going to finish the call he interrupted. “I told you where I am. It’s only fair that you tell me where you are.”
She looked outside the port hole and saw a lifeboat passing by, meaning the bridge was in training. “I’m on a cruise ship sailing from New Zealand to Australia.” She replied quickly. Then she heard him hit the brakes.
“You’re on a cruise? In New Zealand? Why?”
“I took a job as a ship’s doctor.” She replied.
“In New Zealand? Didn’t they have openings on a space shuttle to the moon or something?” He asked, angrily.
“What is your problem? Why is it such a major deal that I’m in New Zealand?”
“Because that means the woman I love is on the other side of the world, that’s why!”
That took Sofia by surprise and she didn’t know what to say. An awkward silence got between them until he broke it.
“What’s going on Sofia? Why can’t you just come back?” Kieran insisted. “I know I’m a bit screwed up but I am working on it very hard. I’ve already apologized. Please don’t make me beg.”
“I would never expect you to beg me for anything. But it’s not the right time for me to go back. I need to be sure this is not just a temporary thing.”
“And when will you be sure?” He asked impatiently.
“That depends on you. Nice to hear your voice Kieran. Love you.” She hung up immediately so he didn’t have time to say anything else.
Sofia sat on the bed next to Denise who had been there as quiet as a mouse listening to the conversation and feeling like a spy.
“I’m glad there’s more than one coward onboard.” Denise observed.
Sofia looked at her with a puzzled expression. “I’m not a coward. And who are the other ones?”
“Me! The one with a useless, inconsiderate boyfriend she can’t break up with. At least your boyfriend wants you. Shouldn’t you be using your energy fixing up your relationship? One of us could be happy.” Denise said with resignation.
Sofia stood up so quickly she felt dizzy and had to sit down again. “You are unbelievable! No, I can’t do things the way Kieran wants. He needs to put the effort and show me how much I really matter to him. If I don’t force him to work harder he will just accommodate and everything will go back to the same. Maybe you should do the same with Diego, make him see who you really are. You’re dating a guy who doesn’t even know the real you.” She pointed out.
“If I do that Diego will forget I exist in no time and I’ll be even more miserable. He’s not the kind of guy who works hard on a relationship. If it works it works, if it doesn’t he moves on.”
“Which only proves you’re wasting your time with him. You should break up and just be friends and hang out with him once in a while. You would have a lot more fun.” Sofia suggested.
“I’ll do that if you sign off and go back to Kieran next turn around.” Denise replied challenging her.
“Not going to happen!”
“That’s my point.”
“Are you on drugs?” Sofia asked, looking at her suspiciously.
“No. Why?”
“You are strangely calm.”
“I’m saving myself for the next few days. But if there’s any powerful medicine you can give me to help, anything is welcome.”
Sofia looked at Denise and studied her face. She looked like she was walking in the clouds. “What’s going to happen the next few days?”
“Didn’t you read the captain’s memo? Bad weather. The Tasmanian Sea is going to remind us of its power. Plus I have the usual ongoing dramas on my department.”
“Why are you so worried about the Tasmanian Sea? Are we in danger?”
“My brain is in danger. You will be just fine. The ship rocking for a few days means many, many complaints.” Denise replied with a grin at Sofia’s sudden concern with safety.
“What’s the point of complaining about bad weather?”
“The same of blasting a horn when you’re stuck in traffic. There is no point, the cars won’t move any faster, but people still do it.”
“Your job sucks!” Sofia concluded.
“I know, and that’s why we are going to the crew bar tonight. I need some drinks to help me survive. It seems like the photographers are organizing a pink party. Everyone is supposed to wear something pink.”
“Pink?” Sofia muttered. “There’s nothing pink in my closet. I don’t like to look like a marshmallow.”
“Wear whatever you want. I’m wearing black
to match my mood.” Denise retorted.
Just as she said that, they heard a banging sound right outside the cabin, by the porthole. They glanced in that direction and saw something bright orange blocking the view. The lifeboat was moving slowly and hitting the side of the ship. On the top, Stefano, one of the ventilation officers, smiled and waved. The girls waved back and smiled.
“Looks like it’s a good think we’re not naked or something like that. Isn’t there any privacy on this ship?” Sofia asked, faking annoyance.
“None at all. And I’m pretty sure the staff captain won’t be impressed with them battering the ship like that. It will rip off the paint.”
“It’s a bit windy today. They can blame it on that.”
“Their problem, thank goodness I wasn’t assembled for this one. I hate driving lifeboats. Every time I try to put them back I always get someone from the bridge screaming at me and making me feel like an absolute idiot.”
“And why did you learn to drive those things then?”
“Because there was one point in my career at sea when I was very innocent and believed that having that training could be good for me. If I had known…”