Titanic Twelve Tales - A Short Story Anthology RMS Titanic by Lynda Dunwell Page B

York if I can. I do not know where we will go, I suspect the vacation to Bar Harbor will be cancelled. My hope is that we return home to Quebec. How I do wish you were over here with me.
     
    With my greatest love, I will always be yours, I love you, Lizzie
     
     
    POSTSCRIPT:
     
    Certificate of Marriage: Quebec, Canada, December 4 th 1912
     
    Edward Barton 36 Bachelor
     
    Elizabeth Lavell 32 Spinster

Trapped!
    “Captain to the bridge.”
    It was cold, so cold every step I took towards the command centre was a struggle. “Report,” I demanded, scanning the instrument panels.
    “Trapped in ice-field and drifting,” confirmed First Officer Klar , “Unidentified object dead ahead.”
    “Action Stations,” I ordered, frustrated by the loss of manoeuvrability of my vessel. The impact sent shock waves resounding through the superstructure, followed by deep grinding noises as the object slid away. “Damage report.”
    Klar looked anxious. He was young and inexperienced, like the rest of my makeshift crew.
    “Don’t just stand there,” I bellowed, “Find out!”
    “Aye, aye, sir,” he uttered scurrying away.
    Sinking into my captain’s chair, I was surprised to find my body temperature beginning to rise. For three months we’d been trapped by ice, unable to break free and we were lost. Each day I hoped we’d reach warmer waters and escape our ice prison, but so far we hadn’t. Low on food, fuel almost exhausted, we were down to reserves, and time was running out.
    “Several crew in shock,” reported Klar’s monotone voice over the intercom. “No structural damage.”
    “Status Lieutenant Sora ?”
    “Sir,” replied my science officer rather excitedly, “we’re free!”
    “Confirm visual,” I demanded.
    “Ocean surface on screen,” she responded.
    “What the-” The sight of another vessel rendered me speechless. Its huge hull silhouetted against a bright moonlit sky. Yellow light was streaming from her many portholes and reflecting on the calm ocean. Like us, the gigantic ship was dead in the water. “ Sora , you reported no intelligent life form in this solar system.”
    “My sensors detected no beings,” she replied. “This planet’s atmosphere is lethal and the seas are toxic.”
    “To us, but look for yourself. Maximum magnification.”
    The enlarged picture revealed a hive of activity. Small two-legged creatures were running rapidly along the flat surfaces of the vessel. Somehow they were absorbing the planet’s atmospheric gas and emitting it in vapour from their mouths. Some appeared to be communicating with each other, whilst others stood clinging together in groups. Still more of them emerged from inside the ship, swelling the crowds on the upper decks, whilst white vapour rose from three of the ship’s funnels.
    “Report verbally,” I ordered.
    “L...Living beings,” Sora began nervously. “Unknown species. Possibly using constituents of the planet’s atmosphere in their life cycle.”
    “Sir,” interrupted First Officer Klar returning to his station. “Alien vessel is taking on vast quantities of water.”
    “Fuel supplies?” suggested Sora .
    I shook my head in despair. “Even my aged eyes can detect they’re using some primitive form of combustion to propel themselves across the surface of the ocean,” I explained. “They collided with the ice, fortunately freeing us, but holing them.”
    “I’ve got a signal,” she offered, “but it’s encoded.”
    “Then decipher it.”
    “I’m trying to, sir,” she pleaded. “Short and long bleeps. Routing to computer, now.”
    “Captain,” called Klar pointing to the screen. “Look, they’re launching small boats.”
    I watched as they struggled to winch the flimsy open-topped craft down the sides of the large vessel, wondering if they had enough boats for all the creatures.
    “It’s a distress call,” cried Sora , handing me a hastily scribbled note.
    I scanned it quickly: CQD MGY have struck iceberg. We