He paused for a moment, trying to clear his head.
“The Galley is right in front of us, so I want you, Merrell, to try and get that door open.
If you can’t, that is no problem. There should be supplies stashed down in the cargo
compartment. If you can’t get into the galley then I want two of you to go down below and
gather as much as you can. You can tell which cases have the supplies because…” Deke
swooned, his eyes closing and his head dropping to his chest.
Devon and the others looked at each other. Jacinda nodded her head, looking like she
knew exactly what to do.
“You heard him, Merrell. See if you can get that door open.” Merrell responded
immediately to the authority in her voice. He motioned for Devon to stand aside from the door
leading to the crew compartment and then grabbed the handle. His face twisted with effort as he
tried to turn the handle. It did not budge at first. Gritting his teeth, Merrell redoubled his efforts.
His face turning red, he pulled on the handle. It slowly began to shift. He could feel the bolt
holding it closed begin to slide. With one final grunt, he forced the handle to turn the rest of the
way. They all heard the bolt click open but the door still refused to open. Something else must
be blocking it. Merrell set his shoulder again and tried one final time to push the door open, but
it still would not move.
“I guess we need to go down below and see if we can find any supplies.” Merrell sighed
as he spoke.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Jacinda added, smiling at Merrell.
As a group, the four friends made their way back toward the hatch that led below. Devon
opened it much more easily this time. He climbed down the ladder, followed by Flim, Jacinda,
and Merrell. The cargo compartment was exactly as he left it.
Devon wondered where they should look first. Each of the students had been given a
small amount of emergency rations to include in their gear, but he knew that it would be better if
they could find a larger amount of food and water all together. That way they would not have to
go through everyone’s personal items.
Jacinda looked at the pile of spilled luggage and nodded. “Okay, I suggest we try to find
any extra supplies that were included for the expedition. From what Mr. Jacobs said, the boxes
with the supplies are marked somehow. Try to find cases with the same markings. I’ll bet those
are the supplies. Each of us needs to take one part of the cargo to check. Let everyone else
know if you find anything.” Her suggestions echoed Devon’s own thoughts and he nodded in
agreement.
Each of them moved toward a different corner of the cargo compartment. Flim and
Devon had to scramble over the pile of luggage to get to their corners. Devon watched Flim
gawk as he passed the gash in the side of the ship.
Nearly ten minutes of fruitless searching passed before Flim cried out.
“I think I found something.” The others started toward his voice. Devon was the first to
reach Flim. The alien boy was grinning widely and pointing to a large stack of stout looking
travel cases. Each case had the shipping line’s logo stenciled on the side along with the words
Emergency Supplies .
Flim smiled, “I could be wrong, but I think these may be it.”
Devon laughed at Flim’s joke just as Merrell and Jacinda reached the pair.
Jacinda examined the cases carefully, a serious look on her face. “Excellent work, Flim.”
She immediately turned to Merrell. “How heavy do you think these are?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Let’s open one up and see what is in it before we start
moving them all up the ladder.”
“Good thinking”
Flim and Devon were suddenly feeling out of place. Jacinda had taken charge so
naturally that they had not even realized it. It seemed that she and
“The Galley is right in front of us, so I want you, Merrell, to try and get that door open.
If you can’t, that is no problem. There should be supplies stashed down in the cargo
compartment. If you can’t get into the galley then I want two of you to go down below and
gather as much as you can. You can tell which cases have the supplies because…” Deke
swooned, his eyes closing and his head dropping to his chest.
Devon and the others looked at each other. Jacinda nodded her head, looking like she
knew exactly what to do.
“You heard him, Merrell. See if you can get that door open.” Merrell responded
immediately to the authority in her voice. He motioned for Devon to stand aside from the door
leading to the crew compartment and then grabbed the handle. His face twisted with effort as he
tried to turn the handle. It did not budge at first. Gritting his teeth, Merrell redoubled his efforts.
His face turning red, he pulled on the handle. It slowly began to shift. He could feel the bolt
holding it closed begin to slide. With one final grunt, he forced the handle to turn the rest of the
way. They all heard the bolt click open but the door still refused to open. Something else must
be blocking it. Merrell set his shoulder again and tried one final time to push the door open, but
it still would not move.
“I guess we need to go down below and see if we can find any supplies.” Merrell sighed
as he spoke.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Jacinda added, smiling at Merrell.
As a group, the four friends made their way back toward the hatch that led below. Devon
opened it much more easily this time. He climbed down the ladder, followed by Flim, Jacinda,
and Merrell. The cargo compartment was exactly as he left it.
Devon wondered where they should look first. Each of the students had been given a
small amount of emergency rations to include in their gear, but he knew that it would be better if
they could find a larger amount of food and water all together. That way they would not have to
go through everyone’s personal items.
Jacinda looked at the pile of spilled luggage and nodded. “Okay, I suggest we try to find
any extra supplies that were included for the expedition. From what Mr. Jacobs said, the boxes
with the supplies are marked somehow. Try to find cases with the same markings. I’ll bet those
are the supplies. Each of us needs to take one part of the cargo to check. Let everyone else
know if you find anything.” Her suggestions echoed Devon’s own thoughts and he nodded in
agreement.
Each of them moved toward a different corner of the cargo compartment. Flim and
Devon had to scramble over the pile of luggage to get to their corners. Devon watched Flim
gawk as he passed the gash in the side of the ship.
Nearly ten minutes of fruitless searching passed before Flim cried out.
“I think I found something.” The others started toward his voice. Devon was the first to
reach Flim. The alien boy was grinning widely and pointing to a large stack of stout looking
travel cases. Each case had the shipping line’s logo stenciled on the side along with the words
Emergency Supplies .
Flim smiled, “I could be wrong, but I think these may be it.”
Devon laughed at Flim’s joke just as Merrell and Jacinda reached the pair.
Jacinda examined the cases carefully, a serious look on her face. “Excellent work, Flim.”
She immediately turned to Merrell. “How heavy do you think these are?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Let’s open one up and see what is in it before we start
moving them all up the ladder.”
“Good thinking”
Flim and Devon were suddenly feeling out of place. Jacinda had taken charge so
naturally that they had not even realized it. It seemed that she and
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