Where Were You?

06 - Cruise Ship

The steady hum of the engines vibrated through the floor as she sipped her drink, the faint scent of saltwater mixing with the sweetness of her cocktail. Up on the deck, everything felt perfect. The sun was starting its slow descent toward the horizon, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges, while passengers lounged on deck chairs or splashed in the pool. Laughter echoed from a nearby group, their voices light and carefree. They had no idea.

The ship's PA system crackled to life, drawing a few curious glances. "Ladies and gentlemen, we're experiencing some minor communication issues with the mainland. Nothing to be alarmed about. Please continue to enjoy your evening." The voice sounded calm, professional, but the tremor underneath was hard to miss.

She lowered her glass, brow furrowing slightly as she exchanged a glance with a fellow passenger. Communication issues? On a ship this size? It felt... off. But then again, nothing ever went wrong on these cruises. They were designed to be flawless. Another sip of her drink, and she let it go, turning her attention back to the view.

Deep below deck, far from the luxury and the laughter, the scene was anything but calm. The engine room buzzed with frantic activity. Technicians and crew members darted between machines, trying to figure out why systems were malfunctioning one by one. It started with the radios, then spread to the ship's internal networks, and now—now the crew couldn't reach the captain.

In the dim corridors where passengers never ventured, a muffled scream pierced the silence. A young crewmember staggered into the hallway, his hands clutching his throat, blood bubbling from his lips. He tried to call for help, but his voice was nothing more than a choked gurgle. His legs gave out beneath him, and he collapsed to the floor, his blood spreading across the polished metal surface.

Above deck, oblivious to the horror below, she had just settled back into her chair when the power cut out. For a moment, there was stunned silence. The lights flickered, the gentle hum of the engines fell away, and the pool's water stilled. Then the murmurs began, confusion spreading like wildfire.

"Probably a power surge," someone said, trying to reassure the others. "It'll come back in a minute."

But a minute passed. Then two. The tension was palpable now, as people began reaching for their phones—only to realize that without the ship's network, there was no service this far out to sea. The unease grew, whispers rising to nervous chatter.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement. A figure stumbled into view, just past the pool deck, their steps uneven, slow. At first, she thought it was a drunken passenger, but something about the way they moved—jerky, unnatural—made her sit up straighter.

The figure was a crew member, their uniform stained dark with what looked like blood. They moved closer, their skin pale, eyes vacant. She stood, her heart pounding in her chest. The deck, which had once been filled with laughter and conversation, was now eerily quiet, everyone watching this person stagger closer.

Suddenly, they collapsed, hitting the deck hard with a sickening thud. A woman nearby screamed, the sound cutting through the air like a blade. Panic erupted, passengers leaping from their chairs, knocking over tables as they scrambled to get away. Her heart raced as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. People ran, some slipping on the wet deck, others frozen in place, staring at the fallen crew member who now lay motionless.

More crew appeared, running up from below deck, their faces pale with terror. She caught fragments of their shouts—"Infected," "Can't contain them," "We're trapped"—but the words barely registered over the sound of her pulse pounding in her ears.

And then, in the distance, over the edge of the ship, she saw it. Another vessel, much smaller, drifting aimlessly in the water. It looked abandoned, its deck littered with debris, no sign of life. A chill ran down her spine as the pieces began to fall into place. The sickness—it hadn't started on their ship. It had come from somewhere else, somewhere close. And now, there was no escaping it.