Chapter 16: Engine Room

No one said a thing. The ship groaned, creaked, and rumbled. The next was silence when the ship settled down from the pain. The recently closed hatch was what everyone was looking at, hoping to hear a bang from below. None. Snowdon's no-second-thought to close the hatch was his ultimatum order to keep the water at bay. Much to the survivors' protest; there were two people left behind.

Rico heard the weeps of Kale Summers, as he turned at him, he was slumped on the corner between two vertical pipes almost away from the group. “Kale?" Rico hopefully wishes he was okay, but the resisting sobs he was making is making him nervous, like about to breakdown. Which he was.

The crewmen side, Jennings, Lani, and Aubrey also have their anecdote. “Miss Blake…"

It was finally that someone spoke up, “Why did you do that?" Said Zoey Maxwell. “You could have waited a little longer!"

“There was nothing I can do." Repeated Snowdon. “The water took them away."

“Are you sure?" Rico glared him.

“Wolfson swam after Blake when she got caught by the current." He explained.

“Well, let's find them! They could be swimming for a way out!"

“We don't have time to find them. It could take forever. Listen, everyone, we must go ahead. We have climbed seven decks so far and now underwater right beneath us. We cannot waste precious time!" Snowdon stated. Rico was silence and almost felt numb at his remark. The terrified group followed silence.

“I don't want to go," Kale's weak voice said. That was the voice of a broken heart. Shrinking away from everyone between the vertical pipes.

“Kale, I'm not going to leave you here," Rico begged.

“Leave him, he's gonna slow us—"

“CÁLLATE!!!" The Hispanic human immediately detected that spoiled, selfish, and prickling voice. Turning in a swift at her with a glare of a demon. He interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. Pointing furiously at her with his index finger. She does shut her mouth and taken aback that she really went too far in this one with her lack of sympathy and sensibility. It echoed between the steeled walls, or bulkheads, leaving a quick fading effect after his native voice boomed through the dimmed darkness.

He took another breath and recompose to kept talking to Kale with a calmer voice. “Kale, Ryder wouldn't want that, do you?" He quietly nodded, but the sobs say no. Rico had been leaking tears out of his eyes and trailed down his cheeks. He rested one hand on his shoulder. “I'm so sorry, Kale."

But Rico wasn't alone mourning with Kale, Aubrey Quinlivan is sitting on a red pipe with her arms hugging her legs. The horse-woman had let out her sorrow she has held up inside; Joyce Blake the cruise director had disappeared along with Ryder Wolfson who tried to save her. She recalled those precious moments before she climbed up to the hatch, Miss Blake insisted her to get in all her might. Telling her in her final words to see her children in England. Lani Kawena scoot closer next to her and so as Sidney Jennings, the latter had been colleagues onboard since they can remember on the Poseidon.

“When we get out of here, I'm going to say to my boys back home that I'm okay safe and sound…" Aubrey said in a weak voice, no longer the glorious talent voice she carried on the evening nights. “It's not too late to have a happy Christmas, boys."

It is too much to argue at this state and Snowdon faced the fact that two people were gone and likely drowned by the raging sea.

“Kale, I cannot leave you like this." Rico continued. “It's pointless and meaningless for Ryder. Please don't give up! The ship is not gonna float too long."

“He did say that the ship cannot float upside-down too long." Sasha Parkinson softly said. He was near the two, which the two turned at him in curiosity. Wolfson's statement at the ballroom was very clear of the ship's condition but can likely remain afloat longer due to her size and to be hopefully found by her giant upturned red-coated hull above the surface. So far, their expectation was met after Rico checked the time before his cellphone died from exposure to water. Probably around near the crack of dawn.

Rico turned at Snowdon in hope. “We are almost there, right?"

“We're close, but we must go through the center engine room and keep moving forward." The polar bear said.

Rico turned back to Kale, “See? We have made it this far, come on, Kale." After a beat, Kale Summers finally stand up with the help of Rico. He nodded quietly. “I'll stay close to you at all times, okay?" Rico assured him.

Once the group settled down from the current incident, the curious flashlights swipe around the dimmed looking place. This is beyond from passenger areas and off limits to them. Above them was plain bare steel painted in dark green for flooring. The current “floor" is made up of pipes, cables, and steel beams, obstructing the normal walking space for the individuals. The dimming, flickering light fixtures on the walls poorly make up the strange place. From the looks of it, it's narrowed, but it's that they are just in a corridor that leads both ways either bow or stern.

“Hey, Dad, which way should be going?" Jett Rycroft asked. “I think I lost track which way is to the front of the ship."

“It's all right, son, there are direction signs everywhere," Sylvester said.

“It's through here," Kershaw said. He pointed the forward direction.

Just when the flashlights pointed, the lights flickered once and shut down, except the flashlights. “Oh-oh, the power went off."

“Better be another set of emergency backup power working now," Snowdon said.

Ten seconds later, the lights came back on with better brightness which relieved some of the fellows, but then the color turned into a crimson red. A rumble sound trembles, it sounded similar when the ship turns its engines on when leaving port or docking. Booming bangs of metal crashing down from a distant either bow or stern. It all ceased to silence with minor noises away. Officer Snowdon ordered to move forward towards a door just ahead. Their walking became more conscious and careful to not to slip and find a better footing, most of them stood on two bigger pipes and the group formed in an orderly line.

The door in front of them is another watertight door with the black and yellow stripes. Red light flashes under them for warning on the other side: fire or flooding. But Snowdon doesn't have the doubts what lies ahead, so he cranked down the leaver to open the heavy door, but it didn't budge. He checks the backup levers to manually open the door by hand. It has two levers; one for opening and the other for closing. This took rather slow as Snowdon pulls back and forth one leaver to open the slow-moving door. Sliding by the left with no sound of squeak. Taking no time, Snowdon stopped only halfway but enough space for everyone to walk through it.

Walking at ease into the next room, this one is quite enormous. Dimmed red lights of warming swiping in circles and an interval sound of buzzing alarm blares out through an unknown speaker somewhere in the big room and sounding the rest of the ship's operating systems.

“Oh, my god." Said Gwen Kershaw. “What is this place?"

“These tanks are huge." Jett curiously wanders his eyes at the strange sight. The name Wartsila appears on one big tank that was thrown on the ground. “What are they?"

“Is this the engine room?" Asked Killian Maxwell. “These things look like boilers." He glanced up at the strange equipment still hanging up above.

“Modern ships don't use steam engines anymore, sir," Rico said.

“This is the desalinating treatment room," Snowdon explained. “These tanks and machines are for turning saltwater into potable, and drinkable water." He looks around the big room, around three decks high from their feet, their next move is to find another watertight door which should be across the room. Their surroundings are another obstacle, broken equipment that crashed down from above during and after the capsizing. “Now, we're looking for another watertight door."

“Ha! I see it!" Sasha shouted. “Up there!" The flashlights' beam at the black and yellow door, its flashing light is broken and couldn't advertise the group from the start.

“How are we going to get up there?" Carolyn asked.

“There's a catwalk here." Zoey spotted.

Through all the pile of debris, a slanted catwalk is providing a way to climb up towards the upper level. Upon more inspection, it leads upwards in a strange labyrinth of catwalk paths, from what it seems. In the end, a higher catwalk close to the bulkhead, or wall, leads safely to the watertight door.

“That's it, then," Said Killian and turns to Snowdon. “Snowdon, we don't know if we can open that door."

“These doors can be opened manually, Mr. Maxwell," Snowdon assured. “I'll climb up first on the slope and follow me and do as I do. We'll be marching in a straight line. I'm gonna ask one of you to have a partner."

With his proposal, the group of twenty teamed up in twos; staring with Snowdon with Kershaw, Red with Gwen, Killian with Zoey, Joshua with Sasha, Rico with Kale, Sidney with Lani, Clover with Pricilla, Jett with Carolyn, Sylvester with Stephanie, and lastly with some hesitations… Aubrey with Portia. Snowdon ordered Rycroft to be the last end of the line, making sure everyone was always present. But this made another change; Kershaw ordered Red to join with Rycroft while Stephanie with Gwen.

“Don't worry, Gwen, I won't be too far." Said the young lion-man.

“Be careful," replied Gwen as Stephanie partners up with her and Red heads to the bottom line with Sylvester.

“Now then." Started Snowdon. “As we march, every move I make, you do the same. We are climbing a likely unstable catwalk, so better watch your steps."

“Are we clear, everyone?" Kershaw added. The group nodded.

Starting with the downed slope of the catwalk as a starting point to climb up to the next level and meet at the bulkhead door above their heads, Snowdon and Kershaw moved first on the long ramp. Following Gwen and Stephanie; Killian and Zoey; Joshua and Sasha; Rico and Kale; Sidney and Lani; Clover and Pricilla; Portia and Aubrey; Jett and Carolyn; Sylvester and Red in last of the line. All in a fine line.

Descending at five feet from the ground, the group cannot just pile up together on the same narrowed catwalk with no safety railings as they are now hanging over their heads and below them. Sylvester and Red haven't even stepped on the slope as there was already slow traffic. The leaders are inspecting the wobbling panel with their feet to just be sure which had broken off with a loud bang upon impact on the ground.

“What was that, Dad?" Gwen asked.

“It's alright, darling." The lion-man assured.

“Let's not risk it." Said Snowdon. “It's a dead end."

“Let's try the one above." Said Kershaw.

After climbing up the first catwalk, another one is standing above them with the safety yellow railings hanging. First was Snowdon to check it out. It was a tad easy by getting a hold of the railing and grasp the platform by hand and legs on the rails and thrust himself upon the catwalk on fours, before he could stand up, he watched out for anything above him; not catwalks but solid steel flooring and the still hanging machinery equipment of salt water treatment.

Looking forward, and a steep ladder is spotted, it's still climbable, even on an upside-down position. On his right, the walkway turns sharply to the right and further is the watertight door on sight, waiting for them. “Good, this catwalk leads us the way."

Kershaw turns at the young lioness and tigress but the ship trembles. “Get down!" Kershaw shouted. The rest crouched down and cover their heads as tumbling and crashing is heard everywhere and brink to collapsing. The ship groaned and wailed. A giant water tank popped out from the ceiling from its base and crashed over a pile of destroyed metallic machinery and unfortunate bodies of the engineering crew lying dead about. It didn't hit the catwalks, but the group was left to deal with bracing for impact and holding onto the railings overhead or crouching on the platform on all-fours. The shrieking of some of the girls was mixed with the collapsing room as the ship settles down as the lagging bangs left behind some more leftover destruction.

The catwalk stopped shaking, not one member of the party hasn't attempted to climb up the next catwalk above except for Snowdon. “Kershaw, get everyone here now!" Officer Snowdon ordered.

“Roger." Said Kershaw and turns at the half of the climbed group. “Come on, we cannot wait any longer." He gently pulled his daughter and told her what to do. “Use the railings above you as a ladder, okay?" she nodded.

Kershaw followed next and let Snowdon get ahead to meet with at the watertight door. He took his own initiative to help up the party below, but some had climbed up by themselves until there seemed to be little of space left for Sylvester and Red as they were behind. “What's the hold-up?" Said Rycroft.

“I'm on it!" Replied Snowdon.

But it wasn't Snowdon was holding up the line, Kershaw was standing higher than the rest; he had climbed up on the steep stair. His right hand is holding a long and tall pipe with a pipe where he can stand up safely. He looked down at the group. “Be careful climbing this stair. It's too steep and no railings. I'll give you a hand as you climb." Gwen and Stephanie nodded. “Once you're up here, move all the way against the wall." The catwalk is placed against the white-painted bulkhead, so the risk is much lesser.

Snowdon opened the heavy door after struggling the same from earlier. He opened it manually with the backup leavers to slide out the door open. The other side was the same as the room they are in; red warning lights and buzzing alarm. Snowdon saw Gwen and Stephanie coming by as the first to get through. Moving on, the party went on smoothly, climbing the steep, rail-less stairs and Kershaw giving a hand each one from falling off. The ship remained quiet at this pace except for the faint tremblers and rumblings in the distance. The twenty survivors met with a dimmed redden room of impossibility recognition. A few signs of directions here and there, but nothing can mean which way is the way out.

“Is this it," asked Aubrey Quinlivan, “the engine room?"

“The main center engine room to be exact." Snowdon clarified.

“Hey, little boy." Mr. Maxwell referred to Sasha. “You have said you had a tour in the engine room, can you recognize anything here?"

“Sorry, sir, this place is a wrecking mess," Sasha said. “But this is definitely the main engine room, but I don't see the big diesel engines."

“We're not even there yet, but we're close by now." Joshua Parkinson said.

“Is there a map of this place?" Carolyn asked as she wanders a bit further from Jett and to see at least a plaque of a map of the ship's engine room.

“It should be around somewhere," Snowdon responded.

“Mom," Jett called, “don't get too far."

“I'm not but is that the map over there?" she asked but something got caught her left leg that made her trip and land on top of it. “Oh!"

Sylvester and Jett prick their ears of her sudden jump scare. “Mom, are you okay?"

“I'm fine, boys…" Rico uses his flashlight to beam at Mrs. Rycroft until that moment she screamed in disbelief at what she's resting on that she couldn't make up at first. “Ah! Oh, my god!" Sylvester picks up his wife from the dead body of a black horse-man in a white jumpsuit. The whole body resting on the ground and blood spilled near his forehead and tongue out of his muzzle and libs in sprawled, uncomfortable positions.

Snowdon made towards the adult tigers and saw who he was. Rico was still beaming the flashlight. Sasha also dared to see the corpse and quickly responded when he saw the rank. “That's the Chief Engineer!" The large stallion horse-man was Jonathan Reynolds in his name tag on his chest. This was the second time that Snowdon saw another familiar colleague after witnessing the death of Captain Whiteford at the ballroom.

“Reynolds…" whispered Snowdon.

“There's more of them around here, isn't there?" Stephanie worried.

“Just don't look at them, darling," Zoey said to her. “They are already in a better place with no more suffering."

“That's what they all say." Muttered Portia.

Snowdon had been kneeling close to the body of Jonathan Reynolds, he stood up and turned at the group. “We must go now, group. The ship's going down and better find that exit right away."

“Let's go this way." Sylvester pointed at a direction; he had read the map of the engine room placed on the wall. “It leads forward to another watertight door."

The party marches on, no holding back or getting bragged behind. Their general view of all this complicated-looking machinery of pipes and valves and advanced technologies that powers and operates the giant ocean liner with a touch of just one button and a joystick through the bridge made this all a mess of a labyrinth in the dark of red hue from the lights. The buzzing alarm still blares out loud; a massive breakdown from failing engines and auxiliary power. Beyond from recognition, they all know the current state of the ship until finally seeing something familiar hanging up the ceiling and some directional signs. They are hardly helpful due to blockage of fallen debris. The last but not least; it's getting hot in here. There's no fire or anything, just a little of smoke, but the evidence that there wasn't a severed explosion from here unlike what the Hotel Manager had said.

When a natural order to stop from their tracks. The group faces the giant destroyed engine room. The blaring buzz is at its peak, the powerful diesel engines in black silhouetted form from the red lighting are still hanging on the current ceiling and one engine, about the size of a bus, is found fallen on the “floor". The group is in a second level position after climbing in the desalting room earlier.

“This is the place; the engine room," Sylvester said.

Sasha pointed out the familiarity. “Those are the big diesel engines afar!" and then points one that's closer at them. “And that one closer is a gas turbine engine!"

“Snowdon, I think there's the other watertight door across." Sylvester pointed through dimmed darkness. A spinning yellow light is giving signals from a distance.

“After this one," said Maxwell, “we meet the bow engine room, right?"

“Nothing but corridors ahead after this one." Said Rycroft, recalling the layout of the map.

“We're almost there, kids." Said Carolyn to her children and the young beagles.

“But where we can cross this?" said Red the lion. “That long catwalk is almost right through those two machines."

To see better through the poor lighting, the flashlights beamed at the rail-less catwalk. Probably around the half of a football field. Rico's flashlight beams down and sees the void below; no water but dangerous debris and the fallen engine with parts blown out and unfortunate crewmen that have fallen victim of the initial capsizing.

“Are we going to cross it?" Lani asked.

“Our only chance," Snowdon said. “We cannot go around it. Alright, like before, let's partner up."

“What's your plan?" Rycroft asked.

“We'll cross two at the time."

 “Will it hold?" Zoey said.

“Yes, what if it is unstable?" Killian followed.

“I'll test it out first like before," Snowdon stated. “The catwalk isn't too long, we'll take careful steps, but if it's stable, then we can walk through it with no troubles, but we still go with two at the time."

The catwalk's original position, right-side up, is overlooking the engines for better viewing above. Now upside-down, the still overhanging engines are dominating the view of the new ceiling over the catwalk. Snowdon steps on the narrowed catwalk, just one-and-a-half feet wide, but there's a small obstacle under his feet, there are rows of bars placed on the underside of the platform that supports the walkway which walking faster can be tricky and likely to trip easily. This was noticed from earlier in the desalinating room when climbing and walking on the upturned catwalks, forcing them to take precaution when walking, and running is out of the question. Snowdon moves ahead as the others watched, there are some steel rods that support the catwalk when it was upright, which provides some small sense of safety for holding by hand, but there are only four pairs throughout the walkway. The clanking of his feet is slow intervals, the polar bear didn't bother the darkness below him and focus his nocturnal vision on the walkway. Meeting the last pair of supporting rods between him he met the larger platform. The watertight door that Rycroft saw is right in front of him from ten feet with its flashing yellow light spinning.

“Very well," said Snowdon as he turned back the other side, “Who's next?"

Rycroft turned at the group, “Everyone, remember who your partner is, like we did before, so two at the time. Let's start with you, Parkinson." The shepherd dog-man nodded.

Joshua kneels at his son, “Are you ready for this?"

“Yes, Dad." Sasha softly said.

“Good boy, I'll be behind you as we walk. And… don't look down, okay?"

The father and son started their march, Sasha in the front and his father behind him. Sasha is just looking only the platform and ahead like before in the elevator shaft, above him and between him was the diesel engines side by side, he remembered the tour he had with the Chief Engineer at this particular room, he was standing above these engines on this very catwalk, making deafening noises away from the passengers' point of view. Producing thousands of horsepower to propel and operate the giant of the seas. In the end, the Parkinsons made it across with Snowdon.

“It's a cinch, come on!" Sasha shouted.

“Stephanie, Gwen, you two are partnered, right?" Rycroft asked and the felines nodded. “Good, come along." He looks at the young beagles, “Then you two girls, okay?" the Forrest girls glanced back at each other with concerned but the nodded quietly. “Then Carolyn and Jett."

As ordered, this moves on smoothly and the ship remained quiet. “Don't worry, Gwen, I'll catch you up sooner," Red said as she and Stephanie are reaching the end of their crossing.

“Kale, you ready for this?" Rico asked. He's still distraught and too quiet. He rested a hand on his shoulder. “I know, I miss him too."

Next were the beagles; Clover and Pricilla, recalling their last time back at the atrium when crossing the elevator's rail track. Carolyn and Jett followed next. “Mom, you won't get sick at heights again, would you?" Said Jett.

“Don't worry, son, I was a little seasick from earlier." Said his mother. “I'll be behind you." The Forrest girls finished their walking, now was Jett and Carolyn's turn to proceed.

Rycroft turns at the remaining group, “Who's next?"

“We'll go," said Killian as he holds his wife's hand. Just on time Carolyn and Jett reached the end of the walkway. As usual, in a fine manner, Killian walks behind Zoey as she just looks at the long, narrowed platform. “How are you doing, Zoey?"

“In all my years as a gymnast, I was prepared for this." She said.

“You were remarkable, love, you've worked very hard to be what you've wanted."

“Sadly, I lost in sixth place after falling off in the balance beam stage."

“It's all in the pas…" The platform trembles, Killian and Zoey crouched down immediately. A massive groan havocs the giant room. “Zoey, hold on!" Something snapped off like one hundred tons of steel struck by a speeding train. The party resisted the shacking while watching a diesel engine falling off from the floor-ceiling right next to the paralleled catwalk. It crashes into ceiling-floor with extreme forces that tremble the ship further and more destruction falls apart with small explosive sparks lighting up the set like lighting. The long platform holds steady along with its two walk-passers crouching down in dear life with their hands covering the back of their heads. The tremor ceased, but some bangs and creaks lagged. The felines simultaneously raise their heads up to see ahead. Nothing wrong happened, a close call for them. Zoey let out a heavy sight.

“Come on! Stand up!" Snowdon ordered them.

Killian and Zoey stood up almost automatically with no problem of balancing off. Easy for them due to their natural reflexes. Killian saw the absence of the big engine that was hanging on his left, it fell on the dark void below along the other trashed heavy machinery. Before he knew it, Zoey was already the end of the platform, he continued walking on at meeting the half-rest of the group.

“Next?" Rycroft asked.

Suddenly, Portia stood back a little behind from Aubrey which the horse-woman noticed. Her voice was a little irritated. “What is it with you, now?"

“Nothing!" She spat. “Can we wait for a little?"

“We cannot hold back the group," said Aubrey, “one way or another; we're crossing!"

“NO! please!" she pleaded. “Listen up, I'm been cooperating so far as I'm still alive in this lousy bucket, but this has gone too far for me!"

“Fine," said Rico, “Kale and I will cross."

“See? They don't mind they're filling up the gap here." Portia stated, a little uneasy.

“It doesn't matter, Matthews." Said Aubrey. “At some point, we're still going to cross the walkway."

At the starting line, Rico and Kale started their walk on the catwalk. He made sure Kale was in front of him for small protection, the young Hispanic is dealing with a distraught grown-up who is older than him, but at least Kale is doing alright for now. He stops halfway which Rico wondered. “What's wrong Kale?"

“T-There's a hole in the way." He shakenly said.

“What?" Rico tried to glance from behind and there's an absence of three feet of platform. “Oh, god! What the hell!"

“What's the problem?" Rycroft heard the situation.

Rico shouted back, “Something busted the catwalk. There's now a gap about three feet."

“Kale," Rico turned back at him, still standing behind, “you must leap through it. Think you can do that?"

Kale now really wish he was here, the way how Rico said it was little similar of what Ryder Wolfson would have said to encourage him, but with some soothing calm attitude to calm him down. He was his anchor when he needed it. He nodded at Rico in response, then Officer Snowdon appeared the other side, looking down at the broken walkway.

“Just my luck." He muttered. He looks up at the Kale and Rico with an extending hand. “Come on, give me your hand." Snowdon holds on the vertical steel rod and with the extending hand at Kale, he nodded and stretched his right leg at the other end and one hand at Snowdon and letting go his left leg and leaped through the gap. Safely sound, Kale moves forward so Rico can leap through next.

“Alright, let's make it quicker." Shouted Snowdon. “Who's next?"

Then came Lani and Sidney; then Kershaw and Red. Helping to get through the gap that appeared out of nowhere. Now was Sylvester with two problematic women. Portia seemed not ready; she's was standing there hugging close to a vertical steel beam.

“What's taking so long?" Snowdon shouted.

“I'm on it," Rycroft replied. He turned at Aubrey. “Miss, why not you go ahead. I'll deal with her."

Aubrey rather felt off the hook as being her temporal partner. She walked through the catwalk and meet with Snowdon to help her leap through the gap, she calmly made it the other end. Rycroft and Matthews are the last ones left.

“Why are you resisting so much?" The tiger-man asked. “You have done so well so far and now you're giving up right here? We're almost there."

“Your son yelled at me, you know he was talking to an adult, right?" she excused.

“We have more problems than scolding my son's wrongdoings. You're making up excuses right now and wasting precious time… or else."

The female human glared but the tiger-man seemed ulterior. “Or else—what!!!" Rycroft holds her shoulders behind her and pushed her to the catwalk. “Let me go! Let me go!" she protested. She didn't have the strength against a beastman, so Rycroft got her right where he wanted. She was now standing on the catwalk, scared and furious of being forced once again. The rest of the group waited, hearing a lot of curses from her desperate demeanor of the entire situation.

Portia turned back a little where Rycroft was standing, blocking her way. He made one step at the time which forced her to keep on moving to meet up with Snowdon to help her leap through the gap. She was quiet for once, realizing that below was dark as bottomless with dimming red lights circling the engine room. Snowdon stood there, waiting for her. She stopped her tracks and stood right on the edge of the broken platform, extending her hand at Snowdon's and one leg stretching up to reach her footing…

The ship groaned and trashed the lights out, a huge series of crash and bangs until a gigantic metallic explosion crashed as like the one before roared with sparks as lightning bolts. It jerked the ship with greater strength and tremendous shaking that the rest of the safe group stood back from the edge and saw another diesel engine falling as its final destruction. Shouts and screams mixed the horrors inside the guts of the ship as it aches in pain. At some point, a hysteric scream of a woman blared out between Snowdon and Rycroft. In those seconds felt like everything turned in slow-motion as they both saw Portia Matthews' face is beyond belief of her sudden fall, she was right between the gap, one leg and one hand stretched out, she did not receive Snowdon's hand and she almost successfully backed out to her position back with Rycroft behind her with both feet standing in one single panel of the platform but nothing to hold on with her hands, she fell off balance forward right in the gap with arms flailing in circles in hopes of reaching the other side, but failed. Rycroft made precious seconds to count but he reached out and torn a piece of her dress and she disappeared into the dark void under them. Both clearly heard a thud but was sickening with bone-cracking along with a single sound of solid, unbendable metal.

It took a while to calm the ship down, but Carolyn Rycroft made back to the walkway but only to be stopped by Kershaw before running in a panic. She shouted to her husband's name, “Sylvester!"

“Snowdon!" Shouted Aubrey.

Just instantly, they shouted back, “We're okay!"

One flashlight beam at the end to see Snowdon and Rycroft still standing. The other hanging engine was gone, and the red lights and the buzzing were gone. But technically they were not okay on one hand. Sidney, with his flashlight, made his way towards them. Rycroft had crossed the gap, just two men. Before he could ask the two were okay, instead… “Where's Matthews?"

“Sh-she… uh… she fell." Rycroft responded. Rycroft's head was out of the edge of the catwalk and looked down through his nocturnal vision in the deep dark below and make up what he saw down there. He was a shaken a little of the freak incident.

Automatically, Sidney beamed down the dark void of metallic debris below. There were bodies of crewmen in jumpsuits but one stood out the rest; a green evening gown that was shredded up to her knees lies horribly like an abused doll with limbs in the worse unimaginable position as her head was grotesquely twisted at an impossible limit, she broke her neck upon impact on the engine that fell earlier along with other unfortunate victims in the catastrophe. She no longer suffers in the afterlife, joining with Malcolm Robertson soon.

“Miss Matthews…" said Sidney after looking her lifeless body.

No more words, Snowdon and Rycroft made back safely. Joining up with his wife Carolyn with hugs and kisses as Sylvester saw how his son was acting. “She's dead, isn't she?" It's hard to believe that someone you have despised so much dies out of nowhere and cannot think of a straight answer of all of this. Some say that those kinds of people celebrate but some other kinds of people stay quiet and have a good justification to mourn at the deceased and let out the feelings of love and hate all the same time. “I've been mean to her because of what she was about to do to me for the press."

“Jett…" Carolyn comforts his son. “That's not gonna happen."

“She really hurt me the way she talked about Bradley. How can I forgive that?"

“Jett, please." Carolyn hugged him. Jett let out his tears on his mother arms.

“I want to go home." He muffled.

“It's not fair, is it?" Cried Lani, “She doesn't deserve this!" She, too, was in the feels.

“I know, Lani, but there's nothing we can do." Sidney softly spoke to her. “She's gone."

“Always in her ways and she still kept on with us," Lani stated. “I don't want to call her a mad woman, but she must have tough issues in the past which lead to her behavior, right?"

“Maybe, but we will never know." Finished Sidney. From all they know about her and what she had left was nothing but a desperate, selfish behavior towards the group that so far, they had endured thought he journey.

Officer Snowdon opened the watertight door, cueing that it's time to move on. “This is it, group. From here now on, there is nothing cut corridors ahead. Soon, we'll be at the very end of the bow. We're almost home." No one said anything, but some nodded and proceeded through the opened door. Jett, however, had one last look of the dimmed dark engine room before his father caught him on to move on.

“Goodbye, Portia Matthews." Jett softly spoke to himself. “It was nice meeting you."