6:00 am- Fair weather and calm seas. I have reviewed maintenance and inventory reports. The Joy is holding up well despite what we have been through. Food is almost gone. Water reserves are marginal. Fuel is low. Crew spirits continue to wane. I will put out another distress call this afternoon. I find the time before the authors wake pleasing. I miss Cruise Director Amy. She was an effective barrier to their nonsense.
7:00 am- Crew mess was unusually quiet today. We all know that we are most certainly doomed. I wait for someone to suggest that we end the cruise charade. Nobody has in the past 4 months since the accident and they don’t toady. I chew on what must be close to the last of the powdered eggs and wonder how many others might be left. The coffee is tolerable today, hopefully a good sign.
8:00 am- Complete my visual inspection of the ship. Meet with the station heads and make a plan for the day. We need to explore the Southern end of the island for fuel and water. Have had good luck there with the survivors. We need to find a boat that wasn’t so lucky. I believe it’s still too dangerous to dock. It won’t be long now. My least favorite part of the day. Soon I will endure a fresh round of complaints and ideas.
9:30 am- Mary is nothing if not consistent. Today they are upset that the buffets have ended. I maintain my composure as she tells me about how she was forced to eat beverage garnishes as a side dish with last nights meal. I try and imagine what would happen to a sailor who complained to his captain that he didn’t like his meal or that he didn’t appreciate being served a slice of fruit. I don’t blame them entirely. They can’t help it. As romance authors they live in a world that doesn’t resemble the one outside. I remind myself that they got onboard to live a dream and it’s turned into a nightmare. It is our job to help them get through this as well as we can. I noticeably grimace when she complains about the Amazing Dan not having any new card tricks. He remains the only entertainer to survive and stay onboard. Magic is for children and people who delight in being tricked. Nobody is as sick of Dan’s act as Dan.
11:00 am- Dark skies to the West. The wind has begun to pick up as well. The weather has been unpredictable since the fracture. Storms appear from nowhere, strange colored rain and lightning. The currents have shifted as well. We may have to put our trip to the South on hold and find some protection from the wind if it continues to build.
11:45 am– Despite numerous requests, Mary walks into the bridge and says she would, “Like to be put in a situation where she could get some fresh flowers in the next few days.” She says the deck chairs could use some sprucing up too. She continues to talk for the next 10 minutes about how the world will need love to properly heal itself. I stare at the horizon and nod my head at the appropriate times. She asks if we plan on showing a movie tonight or if we’re still rationing electricity. The movies provide much needed respite for the crew and I. I am determined to find more fuel.
1:00 pm- The winds remain but haven’t built and the sky is a dark steel color. The crew and I decided to skip lunch until we reach the next harbor. The weather looks good enough to try a run. Course is plotted and we head out while the authors eat.
1:30 pm- Something is wrong with the water. It is churning and bubbling in spots. Our speed has been reduced to 10 knots. Everyone is worried, but we’re too far into it now. The wind has picked up considerably and there is lightning in the distance. Waves continue to build. I sound the alarm and cut their repast short. I hope I live to hear their complaints this evening.
1:45 pm- Water seems thick, slowing us down considerably. We are at a crawl. Strange colored foam around the ship. We reverse to try and catch the current and put some distance between us and the storm. It is a mistake. The Joy lurches backwards and rises up a wave. I stare at the sky through the bridge window and worry for a moment that we might break in half. We slide down the wave and spin sideways. Everyone is thrown to the floor as the ship tilts. Wind blowing against us and hit broadside by a huge wave. The engines are still in reverse but we’re caught. We rise up as a gigantic swell forms beneath. I tell the bridge crew that it has been an honor to work with them as I watch the cliff-face quickly get closer.
2:15 pm- The storm ends as abruptly as it began. Nothing normal. Damn veil. The Joy’s journey is finally over. She didn’t collide as much as merge with the shore. The bow is crushed, multiple holes in her sides. We end up resting against the cliff, keeping us from tipping over. I do the headcount myself after the crew tells me we only lost one. We will all miss the Amazing Dan in our own way.
4:00 pm- Mary seems determined to explore inland for help. After some discussion with the crew, it is agreed that we will join her and the others. She says, “A cruise ship full of romance authors surviving a global apocalypse and a collision with a cliff is not luck; it’s living proof of the power of love.” I’m convinced now that I’m making the right decision. They have no chance without us.
Henrik Rasmussen
Staff Captain
MS Joy
