Almost in response to her question, the violent tempest ceased as quickly as it had manifested. The deadly sea before her being replaced by the calm of an icy millpond, which appeared placid and inviting. The darkness disappeared and once more she was in the perpetual twilight of the approaching Antarctic winter. The water below suddenly so clear she could see the bottom.
So I must be close to shore — but which one?
It might be a hundred feet, maybe two hundred. Its clarity so intense she couldn’t tell for sure. She studied the icy sea, waiting for some sort of sign the storm had returned. Part of her thought for certain she was now only in the eye of the storm, awaiting for the real damage to occur.
But it never came.
Instead, she heard banging.
The continuous banging came from the level below. The Antarctic Solace had a number of automated mechanical systems that made a multitude of clanks and bangs throughout the day and night. Her ears, now highly attuned to the strange sounds of a working ship, recognized the introduction of a new one immediately.
What is that?
It was coming from somewhere below; that much she was sure of. Alexis walked down the stairs and into the level below. Confusion was replaced with fear as recognition dawned. The bangs were coming from the locked door next to the Grand Staircase. The new door — it was yellow, and had been purposely sealed from the inside.
Alexis looked at the door.
Her mind instantly recalled the first time she’d noticed it. She’d been searching the Antarctic Solace for any other survivors and found it. She’d tried the handle but found it was locked from the inside. She had taken interest in it only because she thought she’d previously noted it as an emergency doorway to the lower decks in the same place.
In fact she was certain she had identified the door as an emergency exit that led to a small decked area just above the waterline that could be used in an emergency and as a means of traversing onto another small vessel.
She’d wondered at the time if someone had indeed gone to the trouble of locking it. Was it because they wanted to keep her from getting inside? Or, was it because they had wanted to keep something from getting out?
The door banged again and Alexis returned to the present.
She tentatively placed her hand on the door. It vibrated with the sound of a steel striking steel. She removed her hand instantly. Someone was trying to get in. The banging was clearly the sound of a person intentionally driving something to the end of it.
She heard each clank with the combined sense of excitement and fear that she was going to find someone.
But would she want to be left alone with this person?
The door’s large hinges broke free, leaving a slight gap between the door and the steel frame it was bolted to. She saw fingers slip through the gap, feeling their way to the bottom and then back up again, where they stopped at the second hinge. And then disappeared again. Only to be replaced by the edge of a crowbar.
“Hello?”
No response.
She gripped the hilt of the small fire axe she’d been carrying with her wherever she went for protection. It gave her little confidence as she knew, one way or another, she was about to discover what this was all about.
The edge of a crowbar slipped into the gap and was followed by the commencement of the previously mysterious clanking sound — someone was driving the steel bar into the hinge. On the fourth strike, the hinge gave way.
A moment later the yellow door opened and two men walked through. One of them average height with a solid build. The other, the height and size of a giant. Both wore thick snow jackets and goggles.
The first man stepped forward and removed his snow goggles, revealing startling deep blue eyes. “Good morning, my name’s Sam Reilly.” He smiled kindly, revealing perfect white teeth. Natural creases formed on his cheeks where he appeared to have a big, perpetual smile. “Some crazy weather we’ve been having, hey?”
Chapter Eleven
Sam looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. The first survivor he’d found since boarding the cruise ship. She had dark brown, curly hair and pale skin which looked at odds to her otherwise Mediterranean ancestry. Freckles covered her cheeks where dimples formed at the edge of a nervous smile, which turned to genuine joy as recognition dawned on her that he wasn’t there to cause harm. Her white teeth and intelligent green eyes portrayed an image of confidence and innocence at the same time, making him want nothing more than to take her in his arms and reassure her. She had obviously been through a horrible ordeal and was only just now releasing the tension.
In her hands she gripped the wooden hilt of a double headed fire axe so hard her knuckles turned white. Sam didn’t know whether to laugh or cry for the pitiful creature in front of him who held the axe close to her chest, more like a teddy bear than as a useful weapon.
“Whoa, we’re on your side,” he said. “We’re here to offer our assistance, that’s all.”
She studied him as though searching for a reason to doubt, and then visibly relaxed. “Christ, am I glad to see you Mr. Reilly.” She offered her hand. “My name’s Alexis.”
He accepted it. She had a relatively strong grip and looked him in his eyes. Like a woman who’d grown up with a heavy minded father or worked in a male dominated industry. He looked past her at the empty grand staircase. “This is my friend Tom Bower.”
She smiled at them both. Dimples formed at her cheeks, surrounded by light freckles. “Nice to meet you both.”
Sam looked at the vacant promenade. “Where is everyone?”
“I have no idea. I was kind of hoping you might be able to tell me?”
“You mean you don’t know?” he asked.
“Not a clue. I just woke up and found myself all on my own.”
“Really?” Sam asked. He crossed his arms and wondered if she had a reason to lie. “You went to bed one night and woke up by yourself?”
“That’s pretty much what happened,” she paused, as though she’d only just heard how crazy the statement sounded. “Well, not quite like that.”
“So, how did it happen?” he asked.
“I had been confined to my stateroom with severe seasickness. One of the Doctors aboard gave me an antiemetic which he told me occasionally had the side effect of quite severe drowsiness. I must have fallen into that category, because I slept solid for forty eight hours. When I woke up I tried room service. I had no luck and went out to grab someone’s attention. Pretty soon I realized I was all on my own.”
He wondered if she had any reason to lie. She had a beautiful and innocent face, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t responsible for whatever happened. He let her keep talking. “How long ago was that?”
“Four days. I’ve searched the ship — there’s no one else on board.”
“Are the lifeboats missing?” Sam asked.
“No.”
“Any obvious sign of a near disaster. Something that would suggest why an entire passenger list and crew would willingly abandon the ship?”
“No. Everything appears to be working normally. There aren’t even any lifejackets missing. It’s more like everyone just simply vanished.”
“You’re certain?” Sam asked. “Is there anywhere else they could be trapped?”
She gritted her teeth. “The crew quarters on the lower decks. You can only access them by elevators which require crew or entertainer’s ID cards.”
“It’s a possibility.” Sam depressed the transmitter on the portable radio. “Elise. When you find the security room, see if you can get us access to the crew and entertainer’s decks.”