Page 17 of If They Knew

When Tyler starts to walk away without a word, the glow of my flashlight reveals a tear rolling down his face. Uncle Mark was the closest thing to family Tyler and I had left, and now he's gone too soon.

As we walk out of the engine room, I know my life will never be the same. If I know my brother, I know that what we just saw will be burned into his memory forever. Without a word, we head back to the atrium.

As we walk up the stairs, I notice the traffic has slowed significantly. There’s no one screaming and yelling up and down the stairs. Now, many seem to know exactly where to go, walking with purpose. I tell the ones who still look a bit dazed and confused to follow Tyler and me to the atrium.

“None of these people have any injuries.” I whisper to Tyler.

I wonder if these passengers were in their rooms during the chaos. Everyone we direct to the atrium is also wearing a life jacket, and most likely thinks the ship is sinking or that they are getting into a lifeboat.

As I enter the atrium, I spot Julie to the right, struggling to move a table. A split second later, a few more people walk over to help. Everyone is working together carefully to clean up the atrium. To my left, I see Logan holding himself up against a wall. Towels and chairs are scattered throughout the room, and each is occupied by an injured passenger waiting for help. It's been an hour or so since the explosion, and most people's emotions seem to have settled. However, some passengers are still sobbing uncontrollably, and a few are arguing. I also notice that most people have taken off their life vests and stacked them off to the side.

Tyler walks up beside me while I’m observing the room. I can tell he is shocked by his expression.

“I think these are all the passengers left on the ship,” I say quietly, taking a deep breath. I do my best not to have a panic attack.

Tyler scans the room. He is quiet for a moment, watching everyone move about and helping each other. “You might be right. How many do you think are in here?”

“I'm not sure. From what I can see, I’d guess over a hundred.” It’s nowhere near the number of people who boarded the ship hours ago. The thought sends a chill down my spine, and I realize someone has to take charge, or else complete havoc will soon be unleashed again.

11

THEO

I grab the megaphone and turn on the siren for a few seconds to get everyone’s attention. When everyone is staring at me, I feel a tinge of stage fright. I shove the nervousness down and tell myself these people need a leader, not a coward. I think back to all the times my dad would scrutinize me— ‘Stand up straight, Theo. Stop slouching, Theo. Say yes, ma’am, and no, sir, Theo. Be a leader, Theo. Take charge, Theo.’ I shake my head and swallow the lump in my throat. I am a leader, and I am the leader these people need right now.

I bring the megaphone to my mouth, and when I open my mouth to speak, nothing comes out. All I can do is stand there, motionless, while everyone stares at me. I look around the room and see so many passengers injured, bruised, and bleeding. Many are slouched over, while others do their best to keep from crying— fear evident on everyone’s faces. Then my eyes land on Julie and Tyler. I watch as my wife stares at me, her arms crossed over her chest. I look at my brother, and my mind races to the sad little boy who was always in the background when our father was being so hard on me and not giving a damn about him. He was always the one I could look to when we were younger, and he would always tell me what I needed to hear; he’d always have my back, just as he is doing right this second. As I stare at Julie and Tyler, I watch as Tyler mouths the words he has told me countless times— You’ve got this, Theo. And just like that, all my self-doubt disappears, and a jolt of confidence runs through me.

“Can I please have everyone's attention?” I say nervously, even though everyone is already staring at me. “Officer Logan, could you please make your way to me in the center of the atrium?”

In the far corner of the room, I watch Logan stand and hobble his way over to where everyone can see him. I take another deep breath and press my lips to the megaphone once more. “Hello, everyone. My name is Officer Parrish, but you can call me Theo. This is Officer Smith, but you can call him Logan.”

Logan surveys the atrium, then looks back at me, and I continue. “We both manage operations on the ship. I want everyone to know I’m sorry for everything that’s happening. We weren’t prepared for the storm because it was an anomaly that the radar system didn’t predict or detect. As you see, it caused significant damage inside and out, but fortunately, not enough to cause the ship to take on water or put it at risk of sinking. If you’re still wearing a life vest, it’s safe to take it off now, but if you're not comfortable doing that just yet, feel free to keep it on. I also went down to the engine room and found that the lightning strike to the ship caused a major power surge, destroying all the electrical wiring and infrastructure. The damage is so severe that we've lost all power and control of the ship. What this means is we are drifting freely. All the lights that are on now are running off generators that were only designed to last temporarily.”

A wave of voices erupts and one man, louder than the rest, yells, “How are we going to get home? Where is the captain?”

A younger woman wearing sunglasses and holding a large purse stands up in the back. “When we get off the ship, my attorney will be suing you and everyone involved for this mess!”

There is a brief pause when she stops and before I can speak, more passengers begin shouting, asking similar questions and making threats. I feel my heart race and heat build in my face as all these people scream at me. I take a breath and block out the shouting. I quickly regain my composure, raise the megaphone above me, and start the siren again. Everyone stops shouting and stares at me.

“Everyone, please calm down. My late father, Benjamin Parrish, was the founder and owner of Parrish Cruise Line. He hand-selected our officer team, which includes Officer Logan and me. After his recent passing, I am now both an officer on this ship and the owner of this cruise line. I know everyone is under tremendous stress. Many passengers have lost their lives, and many more have fled during the chaos. To those of you who have lost loved ones tonight, I am truly sorry. I am no stranger to loss and have also lost a loved one tonight. Captain Whitaker was in the engine room trying to assess the damage and restart the engines when the second lightning strike hit the ship, killing him and completely frying all electrical systems on the ship.” The entire room gasps. “If we all want to survive, we will need to work together. So, please, if everyone can keep quiet for a moment, we can work on a plan to help the injured and get rescued. Regardless of personal opinions, this is our reality, and we need to figure out how to survive.”

The crowd begins to settle, and I see heads nodding in agreement. “Right now, Logan and I are the highest-ranking survivors on the ship—everyone, take a moment to look around. All of us may be the only people still left alive. Logan and I will lead the effort to develop a plan for our survival. To start, please raise your hand if you have any medical training. Are there any doctors here with us?”

Logan nudges me and leans in close to my ear. “We have a group of passengers with medical experience helping the injured over in the corner.”

I pick up the megaphone again. “It's just been brought to my attention that we have a group of medical personnel already in place. If you are able to help tend to the injured, please do so in any way possible. That said, the ship’s medical center is on the 2nd floor near the crew cabins. This floor isn’t completely finished and is partially blocked off. I would appreciate it if a few of you would volunteer to carefully go down and gather all the medical supplies and equipment. Because the generators are only designed to last for a week, we will need help transferring the injured passengers and all the medical supplies to an area with windows for lighting and doors that open to the outside for fresh air. Is there anyone who can help with that?”

A moment later, hands start rising and people begin offering to help the injured and volunteering to gather supplies. “This ship is large, so we should all stay together and agree on the areas we want to use. If anyone has ideas about where things should go, now is the time to speak. Since the medical area needs fresh air, I suggest moving the medical center and the injured passengers to Hideout Cove—the spa and gym area on deck 11. This area has plenty of windows and several doors that open to the outdoors. Before we do that, we should check to make sure the area is safe. The initial explosion happened on decks 12 and 13.”

I can’t help but smile when I see people listening to me and the number of people who offer to help. “Okay, this is a great start. I'd also like to gather a group to go to the different floors and collect all the available food and water. Are there any crew members here who work in the kitchen?” I ask, then wait patiently for anyone to answer. It takes a moment before anyone responds. Then, when I think no one is going to volunteer, I see a hand go up in the back of the room. One man, who stands taller than the rest, has his arm raised high. I notice his arm is covered in black tattoos in different styles. He is also covered in splatters of blood. He is broad in the shoulders and reminds me of the actor Gerard Butler in the movie 300. “Hello,” I say. “What’s your name?”

I’m not surprised that the man’s voice matches his physique— powerful and commanding. “I'm John. I work in the kitchen. What can I do to help?”

“Hey, John,” I respond, standing up a bit straighter. “Thanks for volunteering. We can use all the help we can get. Could you gather a group and bring all the food and water from the kitchen?”

“Absolutely, I saw a few of us from the kitchen in here. I'll gather as many of us as I can. I suggest we turn one of the dining rooms into a food area, using the existing tables, and store all the food in one of the kitchens. Even though we don't have a way to cook, we could at least all eat in the same space and have plates and utensils.” He says it in a tone that makes me believe he has been in charge before.

“Great idea. Let me know if Logan or I can help at all. Which dining area did you have in mind?” I ask.