The Ghost Cruise

4 • Stranded

As the salvage crew gathered on the deck, their faces pale and their expressions haunted by the grim discovery, Blackwood's mind raced with a sense of urgency and dread.

She leaned on the railing that lined the edge of the deck, bowing her head over the side. Her stomach churned with a mix of hunger, dehydration, and fear.
She'd seen dead bodies and skeletal remains before, having worked in the Marines, but there was something about the setting of this discovery that made it particularly more disturbing.

She sighed and peered down into the churning waters below.

And then her eyes went wide. She froze.

Below, she expected to see her rescue boat floating alongside the ship.

But it had disappeared.

"Oh, fuck!" She cursed under her breath.
Her heart raced.

It wasn't possible.

She had secured it to the side of the ship as tightly as she could, yet now it had vanished without a trace.

She knew they were now stranded at sea with no means of escape, and the weight of that realisation pressed heavily upon her shoulders.

Feigning composure despite the panic gnawing at her insides, she turned her head to look over her shoulder, noticing that the crew were all still chatting among themselves.

Her eyes desperately scanned the black water below and even peered out as far as she could see in the darkness of the night, searching for any sign of their rescue boat.

But it was nowhere to be seen.

Panic surged through her veins like a tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm her, but she forced herself to remain calm for the sake of her crew. With a deep breath, she resigned, straightened up and turned to face them.

With a forced resolve, Blackwood pushed aside her fear. She couldn't afford to let her emotions get the better of her now. They were in a precarious situation as it was, and it was up to her to lead them through it.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself; her face was pale and drawn but otherwise composed. Her voice wavered nervously, and her hands shook involuntarily as she steeled herself to speak to the crew.

"Right, listen up, everyone. I know what we just saw down there was unsettling, but we need to stay focused, okay? We have a job to do. We must collect as much information as possible, even if it means making more horrible discoveries. I will make sure we see this through to the end."

Her words were met with nods of understanding from the crew, but Gray could see the tension in their eyes. He knew that they were all feeling the weight of the grim discovery, even if some of them didn't show it.

As the crew dispersed to continue their exploration of the ship, Gray approached Blackwood, concern etched into his features. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spoke in a low voice to avoid the others overhearing.

"What's wrong, Grace?" he asked, his tone laced with worry.

Blackwood glanced around to ensure no one was within earshot before responding in a calm voice.
She peered up at him with tears welling up in her eyes.
"The rescue boat, Gray. It's gone. Our only means of escape has disappeared."

Gray's eyes widened in shock, and his face paled at her words. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath, his mind racing with the implications of their situation. He peeked over the ship's edge to the rough water below, and it was true. The rescue boat was gone.

Desperation crept into his tone as he turned back to her. "What the hell are we gonna do about it?" he asked, his voice tinged with urgency. "No food, no water, no provisions. Our chances of survival out here are... We're fucked."

Blackwood's jaw clenched with frustration as she struggled to find an answer.
"Don't you think I'm aware of that?" she snapped, her voice rising slightly in frustration. "But there's nothing I can do about it right now. I'll... I'll tell them eventually, but not until we have some kind of plan."

Gray nodded in understanding, his expression grim as he processed the gravity of their situation.
"I hate this... but I trust you, Grace," he said quietly, pulling her into a reassuring embrace. "We'll figure this out together."

-

As the crew dispersed to continue their exploration of the ship, Blackwood followed closely behind, her mind racing with the weight of their predicament. She knew they needed to find resources to survive, but with limited options available, she had to think strategically.

"Gray, I need you to search the ship for any resources we can use. There won't be any food or drinkable water, but anything else that can help us survive out here, collect them and put them in the Captain's chamber."

Gray nodded in acknowledgement.
"Got it," he replied, his voice determined.
"I'll make a checklist and gather whatever I can find."

With a nod of approval, Blackwood watched as Gray set off on his mission, his footsteps echoing through the lonely corridors of the ship. She trusted him to handle the task efficiently and resourcefully, knowing that he was their best chance at finding the supplies they needed to survive.

Turning her attention back to the exploration of the ship, Blackwood focused on leading her crew through the labyrinth of passageways and rooms, her senses on high alert as they searched for clues and potentially more bodies.

The ship seemed to hold secrets in every shadowy corner, and she knew they had to tread carefully if they hoped to uncover the truth behind the mystery of this ship.

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