“It’s only a surface wound! No major blood vessels damaged! You’ll live!” Ann Baxter said when she finished bandaging Flynn’s leg.
Flynn groaned. Not so much from the pain, but from the terrible sense of guilt! He had let everybody down… He had let Leo sneak up on them… didn’t raise the alarm in time… and he couldn’t save Madison… He had left her behind… Flynn knew everybody was staring at him, but didn’t dare look up and meet their eyes. They all stood in a circle around him. Duncan, Mr. Kowalski, his father, Tony, Pharrell, and those who had stopped work and gathered to hear the bad news… Everybody, except Madison, Flynn thought bitterly and slammed his fist against the wall.
“Flynn, stop blaming yourself,” Duncan finally spoke. Up until that moment he had been silent, a deep crease in his forehead. “You were extremely brave and did your best.”
Now all eyes were on Duncan Roth and everybody nodded… but Flynn saw how worried they looked.
“Alright!” Duncan said. “This is where we are… I was hoping for an extra day or two, but that’s out of question now!”
A ripple of nervous excitement went through the group. As his words spread, shouts of eager anticipation echoed in the great chamber hall. Duncan raised his hand.
“Our location’s been compromised,” he spoke with great urgency. “You all know what you’ve got to do and you’ve rehearsed the emergency procedure. So, let’s get the Ark ready for launch.”
Everybody scattered in different directions, splitting into small groups. The worried faces were suddenly full of purpose and determination. They knew where they were going and they did so with great urgency and a lot of noise. Confused, Flynn stood in the middle of the storm, not sure what to do.
“Walter,” Duncan placed his hand on Mr. Kowalski’s shoulder, “please check all hatches and windows… Make sure they’re all well sealed. OK?”
Mr. Kowalski nodded and hurried away.
“Flynn!” Duncan’s finger beckoned him. “You’re coming with me to the helm.”
“Me?” Flynn glanced around, unsure if Duncan wasn’t addressing someone else. But there wasn’t anyone else left, except the two of them.
“I need you to know how to work the controls, Flynn!” Duncan said as he led him up a walkway. “I need someone I can trust, in case I’m… not here to do it!”
“But, sir… err Duncan…” Flynn swallowed hard. “Surely there’re others here, who could do this… like Mr. Kowalski, or…”
“Walter’s a genius at pretty much everything else, except… navigation!” said Duncan, leading Flynn toward the Ark. “As for the rest of our crew, most are lacking either one skill or another, or simply can’t see well enough because of their age! You’re my best navigator here and you’re young! So, like it or not, you’ll have to be my second in command, Flynn!”
Flynn stared in amazement at the control panel in front of him. He and Duncan were standing inside the Ark’s cramped cockpit. Constructed out of an old truck cab, it looked like a hump protruding from the rounded bow of the Ark. Thick glass panels were fused into the window holes, giving the cockpit its three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view over the chamber hall. From this vantage point, Flynn could clearly see the frantic activity going on around the vessel… In a mad rush against time, support beams were being erected, anchoring the Ark to all four walls and ceiling. They would hold it against the tremendous pressure when the outer wall was blown out, and the water rushed in. Duncan had told him they were there to keep the vessel from being crushed against the ceiling. Walls blown out… Ceiling collapsing… This was going to be one hell of a launch, Flynn thought with a terrible feeling of dread in his gut.
“Now, pay attention here!” Duncan pointed at a dial on the control panel. “One of the most important instruments to keep a constant eye on is the depth gauge!”
He had already explained to Flynn what would happen to the unpressurized hull if they went too deep. The Ark could not sink below sixty feet without the risk of imploding. It all sounded unreal to Flynn. He was still having trouble accepting the idea that this massive ship could sail underwater. It was hard to believe.
“This is your sonar here,” Duncan continued, pointing at another instrument. “Your radar’s next to it. Then there is the machine section panel with the fuel gauges, lights and engine throttle…”
Duncan kept going as Flynn stared at all the amazing instruments he had never seen before. Instruments, Duncan and Mr. Kowalski had salvaged and collected painstakingly over the years. Instruments that now stood restored and fully functional in front of him!
“And finally…,” Duncan said, “…your radio! Once we get closer to Dry Land, we’ll try to pick up a signal. That’s if they’re still broadcasting any…”
He was interrupted by voices echoing inside the Ark’s belly. Shouting could be heard on deck and the banging of hatches being closed. Footsteps rattled the metal staircase leading up to the cockpit, and Mr. Kowalski’s head popped round the door.
“I think we’re ready, Duncan!” He wiped the beads of sweat from his blackened forehead.
“Everybody inside?” Duncan looked out of the windows of the cockpit.
“They’re all in and strapped to their seats!” Mr. Kowalski nodded as he squeezed himself inside next to Flynn. “It’s a bit packed down there, but space is tight, you know.”
“OK, Walter, grab a seat…” Duncan glanced at his watch. “We detonate the cluster bombs in five minutes!”
“Come on, Flynn.” Mr. Kowalski plopped himself on the long car seat bolted to the floor and tapped the space next to him.
Flynn’s heart was racing… It was happening now! For real! He felt dizzy as he ran the frayed seatbelt across his chest and buckled up. Duncan, still standing, checked his watch again and picked up a large remote control. Legs apart, firmly planted on the floor, he braced himself for the blast. Then he pressed the single red button on the remote!
Flynn shut his eyes and held his breath. He counted the seconds. One, two, three…. Nothing! Then… a loud bang near his head made him jump with a start. He opened his eyes. No, that wasn’t an explosion! It was Duncan. He had just smashed his fist on the dashboard! Flynn saw the look of anger and despair in his eyes… The Ark wasn’t going anywhere…
TWENTY SEVEN
“Let me do it, Duncan!” Mr. Kowalski moved away from the window and looked back at Duncan. “I know exactly where the charge is! I was there when we rigged the place. Besides… I’m too old to make this journey, really… I’m better off staying back here…”
Duncan shook his head. “I can’t let you go, Walter! You know the Ark inside out, all the systems… everything! There’s no one to replace you on board!”
“Duncan!”
“No!”
Flynn’s eyes shifted between the two. He had followed their argument for the past minute or so, after the explosive charge hadn’t gone off as planned… It had malfunctioned, and now it had to be detonated by hand… Someone had to go out of the Ark and do it manually. But that someone, even if he survived the blast, would never be able to get back inside the ship… It was going to be a suicide mission! Flynn’s mind was racing as he considered what was at stake… He knew he had to do something… He had failed so many people that night. He couldn’t even get Madison down to safety… and that weighed heaviest on his heart. The guilt, the anger, and the thought that he would never see her again made Flynn suddenly jump to his feet… Madison had been so selfless in her actions, and now it would be his turn. “I’ll go!” cried Flynn.