Member-only story
16 Days
Sealed In
The battle started early this morning. Was it this morning? Or have days passed?
It’s hard to tell in the dark. Time stops meaning anything. Yes — it was this morning!
We were eating in the mess hall when general quarters sounded. I didn’t get to finish my eggs. Thought I would have a decent lunch after — but it wasn’t a drill.
Louis, Ronald, and I are down here in A-111 at our battle station.
We’ve been here since general quarters, we set Condition Zed. The sealed doors kept us in and flooding out.
The power went out, but that was fine, we knew the space. 8 paces from the desk to the door in A-109 to the Pump room. 12 from the pump room door to the manhole covers.
Little had we known when we counted them out all those weeks ago that it would help us. Little did we know.
8 paces from the desk to the door. 12 from the door to the manhole covers.
The concussions have stopped. Did we win?
Did we sink? It’s quiet. But there is some noise. Ronald thinks he can hear banging.
Are there others?
You hear all sorts of things. Groaning metal. Dripping water. Whispers.
