Sedulity 2: Aftershock (Sedulity Saga) Read Free Page A

suffered
cuts and lacerations. They would be treated and those with minor injuries might
return to the theater soon. The ones who suffered strokes and heart attacks
were more problematic. With the average age of the passengers on this cruise
well into senior citizen range, the stress and terror of the asteroid strike
had proven too much for some of them to handle. They were given first aid and CPR,
then taken below on stretchers, but Lt. Reiner knew that triage protocols were
in effect and doubted if many of the most serious cases would get the care they
needed to survive. There were too few trained medical personnel to cope with
all the casualties.
    Reiner felt sorry for the injured, just as he felt sorry for
all the passengers gathered in the theater, and the crew as well, but after
spending hours watching this catastrophe sweep around the world on TV, he had
come to realize how lucky the survivors aboard the Sedulity really were. It was that message that he tried to convey
to everyone who came to him about minor inconveniences and discomforts. Of
course, those who had seen their home cities and countries washed away on television
had much more reason to grieve and complain. He was intimately aware that many
of the crew came from Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as other island
nations that had already been hit by the monstrous tsunamis. He could only
imagine their grief and despair, and was amazed that any of them continued to
perform their duties at all. Perhaps they focused on their work to keep their
minds off of the fate of loved ones at home.
    The lieutenant shook his head as he recalled an earlier
incident that came closest to causing a true riot in the theater. A
particularly difficult passenger, Mr. Hank Donner, had returned from assisting
some of the injured carrying a waterproof case containing a satellite
telephone. He had walked up to Lt. Reiner and handed it to him like a gift.
Only the fact that the rest of the passengers didn’t know what the case
contained had prevented a stampede. One working phone for over a thousand
people, all of whom were desperate to contact someone, would have caused a
riot. Some of the crew, however, had recognized the case for what it was and
had approached him privately to ask if they could use it to contact their
families ashore. He had impressed on them all the need for secrecy, then
allowed them to take turns making brief calls from the card room on the
mezzanine outside the balcony level of the theater. Some returned to the
theater in tears and a few failed to return at all. Nevertheless, it was the least
he could do to let them try to contact their loved ones.
    Reiner also had friends and family that he wanted to call,
but he placed his duty first and remained in the theater. After all, his home
was half a world away on the coast of the North Sea. He had no fear that
Germany would be affected by this asteroid strike in the Pacific Ocean. No,
Reiner was sure that his friends and family were safe from tsunamis and
earthquakes, but he still wanted to call them and ease their fear for his own
safety. However, there would be plenty of time for that after the situation
aboard the Sedulity returned to some
semblance of normalcy. He had no idea how long that would take. For the moment
he, and most of those with him in the theater, sat transfixed by the horrific news
on television.
    *****
    “This is GNN bringing you live
coverage of unprecedented disasters striking the Pacific Rim in the wake of
today’s unexpected asteroid impact. Those of you watching from anywhere near
the coast of the Pacific Ocean should tune into local broadcasts for updated
news on tsunami warnings and evacuation plans. The Emergency Broadcast System
has been activated along the entire West Coast of the United States and
mandatory evacuations have been ordered for all coastal cities and towns. This
includes the earthquake ravaged regions of California, as well as the states of
Oregon, Washington, and