The Next Continent Read Free

The passenger took his thumb off the button. A sharp bang immediately reverberated through the compartment—exactly what Sohya had tried to prevent by opening another escape route for the pressure. Water hammer!
    Bringing the surging water to a sudden stop created a highpressure shock wave that propagated throughout the plumbing system in seconds. That transient spike was far outside the design limit of the dispensers. In the next instant, forty faucets in forty seat backs blew out of their sockets, spewing like fire hoses. The compartment was instantly plunged into pandemonium. Some of the passengers tried to escape by climbing up on their seats. A few were literally blown into the aisles as they tried to stand up. Sohya shouted, “Keep calm! We’re not flooding!”
    No one paid attention. The screaming, praying, and terror continued unabated. He rushed back aft. The girl was holding on to her beret with one hand and trying to divert the water with the other. He reached out to her. “You okay?”
    â€œYes. My clothes are soaked, but I guess this is one way to do the laundry.” She tugged at the hem of her dress and forced a smile. Her unflappable demeanor in the midst of this confusion was contagious. Sohya grinned.
    â€œYou’re cooler than you look. You think this is the way to do laundry?”
    â€œNot with seawater. But it’s fresh…”
    Sohya was thunderstruck. A bizarre inspiration flashed through his mind. He turned to the compartment and bellowed:
    â€œDrink it!”
    Instant silence. Some of the VIPs stared at Sohya as if he were crazy. He seized the opening.
    â€œGo ahead! It’s not salty. It’s drinking water. We’re not flooding!” A few of the passengers unfroze and began hesitatingly scooping water into their hands.
    â€œHe’s right!”
    â€œIt is fresh water!”
    â€œSo what’s going on? Did someone light up?”
    â€œNo sprinklers on board,” said Sohya. “Just a plumbing problem. Naturally, smoking is still prohibited.”
    With this attempt at humor, Sohya managed to gain everyone’s attention. He explained that the water tank had overflowed. With only fifty liters in the tank, the water would soon stop. Since the weight of the water was merely shifting from one place to another, buoyancy would be unaffected.
    Sure enough, as he was speaking, the flow of water slowed and stopped. The passengers began to calm down. They were distinguished representatives from companies and countries around the world, and no one made a fuss once it was clear there was no danger—other than the one complaint Sohya was expecting.
    â€œI went all the way to Savile Row for this suit. Will I have to ruin a four-thousand-euro suit whenever I use this shuttle?” Again, the coffee service guy. Sohya was appropriately apologetic and promised to ensure that compensation would be made.
    Once the passengers had calmed down, Sohya went to the service compartment. A shock strong enough to blow off the faucets would not have affected the pressure hull, but the tank had to be checked. As he passed the last row, Tae’s grandfather spoke up.
    â€œMind if we take a look?”
    â€œBe my guest,” Sohya answered stiffly. He was not used to looking after passengers but was too tired to object. He opened the door to the service compartment and walked past the circuit boxes and CO 2 scrubbers toward the back of the small room. He stared up at the tank. It was a simple sheet metal box, but the sides had ballooned outward, as if something had detonated inside it. Tae stood next to him, gazing up and nodding. “So that noise was the sound of this box expanding. I’m sorry,” she said.
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œI should have told you sooner. Then no one would’ve gotten wet.”
    â€œYou don’t have to apologize. I should’ve at least tried to make sure you didn’t get wet.”
    â€œNo