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Chapter 8: The Adventurers

The other group of survivors in the disco lounge. Isaac, Pricilla, and the hyena-man they had found under the pile of bodies by the name of Floyd Archer, the ship's magician. He recovered his dizzy mind, but still feeling all spiny inside. His tuxedo with little of smudges, he learns about the two fellows in distress and a stuck lion-man. The three eventually came back to the others. The adult hyena examines the big, heavy girder. They tried one more time lifting the long bean, they were unsuccessful.

"Okay, let's find some 'pole' to leverage this." Floyd said. "Come, kid, I need a hand. Let's make my next magic trick." He takes Isaac with him and lastly the young college student made Pricilla to stay with them. The two went out.

"This is your fault..." Pricilla muttered to Clover.

"What?" Clover did hear her clearly that made her growl inside her instincts.

The beagle dog-girl turned sharply at her young cousin, "That this is your fault!" She yelled her. "If you didn't--"

Clover cut right at her and barked at her, "Don't even go in there! You were the one who brought me here! We didn't even know this was going to happen, and you were the one who wanted to get on Isaac's pants all the way!" Pricilla slapped Clover's face, she yelped, loud enough for Gwen to make her move and stop them from fighting each other.

"Enough, you two!" The lioness snapped. "We have more problems than your bickering."

"This doesn't involve you, kitty!" Pricilla snarled. "Your boyfriend wouldn't even get out of--"

"Shut up! All of you, just shut up!" Megan the cheetah screamed. "Blaming on someone else doesn't solve your problems, Pricilla!" She stated. "And how dare you hit Clover!" Clover actually even stepped aback from her after the slap. She sat there on the ground in silence with mix of disbelief and anger. She quietly sobbed.

Red is losing his battle, his chances of survival if they don't get him out under the girder. Gwen, of course, won't leave him. Red knows if time is running out, he will have to risk forcing Gwen to leave him as his final resort. He's feeling the eternity of being stuck under the large junk. The longer, he'll be losing his mind until finally screaming out loud like those girls he's with.

Isaac came back with a long metallic stick which is actually a long hand rail. "I think this could work. It's stainless steel." He said.

"Where's the hyena guy?" Gwen asked.

"He's still looking for something additional to lift this." Isaac replied.

"Well, let's try it anyway."

Isaac inserts the pole through the girder under it, it provided a firm hold, the pole is nicely jabbed. "Ready?" Isaac, Gwen, Pricilla, and Megan took a hold of the pole with both hands all together. "Three! Two! One! Pull!" The heavy girder moaned. The girls grunted, "Come on!" But it wasn't budging, only a few inches but it didn't free Red's legs out. They all exhaled and stopped.

"Shit!" Red cried.

Floyd came back with a medium-sized amp, he watched the group they have given a try without his orders. "It's not gonna work that way, you know." He placed the black box device aside.

"Got any better ideas?" Megan said.

"Pulling it only made the pole bent, right?" He gestures the long hand rail. "With this," using the black amp, "we make a teeter-totter." He placed the pole on top of the black amp and jabbed the one end of the pole into the girder. "Instead of pulling, we all need is a little bit of pushing, get it?"

"So much for physic lessons..." The cheetah-girl muttered.

"Come on, I think we're ready to lift." Floyd ordered them and all (except Clover) took a hold of the pole. "Ready? In three! Two! One! Push!!!" They roared. Pressing hard downwards. The girder groaned until Red felt the heavy pressure on his legs had gotten lighter. He dragged himself away from the risen girder and screamed. They dropped the leaver and the heavy girder slammed hard on the ground. Floyd fell off balance and landed on his bottom and howled, "Wooo-hooo!! Happy New Year!" The hyena-man laughed. "Happy goddamn year!" Free at last, Gwen can now happily hug her loving lion-man all she wants. Red is just happy that he's out of his miserable death trap. The new year literally punched Red's face right before he would know it.

Snowdon's group had left the ballroom, now in the pantry area that leads to the kitchen. The small room with little of damage than where the group had been, shows a cleaner sight of an upside-down room from a fun house amusement park. The brave group that chosen to follow the First Officer had managed to make their first step of leaving the ship to home. "Where's the kitchen, Foxley?" Snowdon asked.

"Right this way, sir." The fox steward gestured to a closed door.

"Kameron, are you sure you can walk?" Sydney Jennings worried.

"Don't worry, I can walk better than you." He assured with a hint of courage. Carolyn had treated his ankle she could. He'll be walking limply for a while.

The locked door is the same black-and-yellow striped solid door from earlier that could not be reached to open. A red light is kept flashing constantly below. "I'm afraid that there's fire from the other side of the door, sir." Jennings said.

"Is it safe to get through the kitchen?" Zoey asked.

"I'm going to check and make a safety path." Snowdon said. "And see if we can find the vertical access to the engine room."

"Let me come with you, Snowdon." Mr. Kershaw stepped in. "I'm a former fireman, I can handle these situations."

Snowdon himself had volunteered on fire drills during his career onboard the Poseidon and other ships of the Royal Trident fleet. He also has experiences with fire situations, but he didn't mind his offer. "Sure, be my guest."

Approaching the locked door, Kershaw turned towards the group. "Make sure everyone stands back from the door. We don't know how badly the fire is, we could get hurt by a flash fire." He announced. The group took either any side of the wall against it and crouched down. They all waited tentatively for the worst. Snowdon took a hold of the now confusing inverted switch leaver and pushed it downward. The heavy door slowly opens with a small gap. Smoke came out, but not thick black smoke. Kershaw inspects a glance of the room. "Close the door." The lion-man ordered. Snowdon let his hand go from the switch and the door closed by itself.

"How is it?" Ryder asked.

Kershaw picks a fire extinguisher fixed on the wall, "It's okay to get in, but Snowdon and I are gonna make a path to walk through." He said and picks his handkerchief to filtrate precious oxygen.

Snowdon turned to Sylvester, "Rycroft, you're in the navy, right?"

"Yes, I was a Lieutenant onboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln." Sylvester replied.

"Good, will you guide the door for us?" Sylvester obeyed and stand in position and wait for any instructions.

"Sir, let me come, too. I know the way around the kitchen than you do." Sydney Jennings stepped in. Snowdon accepted his offer. The three men faced at the door.

"Ready when you are, Officer." Rycroft readied, "Everyone, get back into your positions!" He said to the group and huddled against the walls. Snowdon, Kershaw and Jennings nodded readily, and Rycroft pulled the switch downwards. The door opens again and wide enough for both large beast-men to enter the infernal kitchen. Once there, Rycroft closed the door behind them.

Just as they have feared to what a destroyed kitchen would be like. But not exactly infernal would have been, but smoke is the real danger than just fire. The industrial ovens are still heated but not alight. "The emergency gas shut off must have been activated." Jennings stated.

"Good to know." Kershaw replied. The new floor shows clear signs that the sprinklers did their job to put any raging fire out, there was puddle of water in the mess. The pipes and lights are going to make the walking more serious. One miss step, one could hurt an ankle, simple as that. The three marches ahead and find the safest path through the destroyed kitchen galley with aluminum equipments...

...and carnage...

"Do you know where the vertical access is, Jennings?" Snowdon asked.

"It's near around, I always use it all the time." Jennings said. "It's over there..." He pointed the to a staircase sign fixed on the new floor with an arrow pointing away. Making that turn, they stopped their pace. "This is it!" The three pulled the any debris blocking the door in the way. Jennings got his hands on the door and open it. "Oh, shit!" He shouted when heavy black smoke came out. He closed it shut. Coughing with his handkerchief.

"Is that the way?" Kershaw asked.

"Yes, but we cannot go there and get consumed by the smoke." Snowdon stated.

"Hey, map." Kershaw referred to Jennings, "What this elevator leads to?" He pointed a dual silver door elevator way.

"That's the service elevator, every single deck to go."

Kershaw and Snowdon stepped in front the elevator door. The doors can be opened manually in emergency, but Snowdon and Kershaw are having some difficulty. "It's jammed!"

"We need something to pry with!" Snowdon said. "Where's the axe when I need one?"

"That's my favorite toy, too." Kershaw joked. "There's one!" He saw the red box in a far end of the now port side bulkhead. The glass was shattered but the axe was still there inside. Kershaw picked it up and came back with the others. Kershaw ordered both to stand back and jabbed the axe between the merged doors, he puts pressure and one door creaks and squeaks opens out. With a good opening, Snowdon and Kershaw pushed the doors altogether. Nice and wide.

"I like these service elevators because it has doors on both sides." Jennings said.

Fully opened, there is no elevator on sight. Across is another double-door with the inverted number 4 in white. Kershaw uses his cellphone's flashlight, and both look down, the numbers 5, and 6 doors appeared but 7 and others are nowhere seen below, not because the phone's flashlight could not bright any further, it was full of water. Looking up, from deck 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, there's the elevator up there with some glowing flickering on all sides of the squared, caged box lifter. "What goes through there?" Kershaw asked Jennings the same door across.

"It goes further forward the passenger cabins." He said. "And there's also staircases that leads up to the entertainment area on deck 3."

"Out of the way, I brought something." Snowdon had separated from the two and came back with a long, six-legged stool out of aluminum. He dragged it all the way here. "Help me with this." Kershaw and Jennings grabbed a hold of the metal plank.

"What are you planning, sir?" Jennings asked.

"We are going to cross it." The bear-man stated. "Ready? One-two-three -Go!" The three extended the plank through the elevator shaft, accidentally misjudging the distance and hit the other door and scraping it. They quickly hold it back and tried again, carefully resting the plank on the tiny ledge of one inch of surface below the closed door. "Keep it steady. I'm going to check. Give me the axe, Kershaw." Snowdon said. Jennings and Kershaw hold the six-legged stool by the two back legs, pressing it steady. Snowdon steps on the plank and walks slowly towards the doors. Once there, he noticed the dents it has. Hoping, he jabs the axe between the doors, but it feels heavy. "Grr! I can't pry it open!"

"What about that half-opened door if we go there? Above you." Kershaw pointed the door with the inverted number 3 above Snowdon. It's ajar open near four inches.

"That's the casino's storage room --The entertainment section is up there." Jennings stated.

Snowdon walks out of the plank. Meeting up with the two. "Alright, before we can start this. I'll come back with the others, they must be waiting for us. You both stay here, alright?" Jennings and Kershaw nodded.

The rest of group waited hopefully in the pantry, Sylvester guarding the door and waiting for any signal from Snowdon. Time was passing by silently, Rico checked on his cracked screened phone; is two and ten of the morning. He forgot that it was now January first of the new year and it still feels like December 31st tonight. The heavy door banged out loud, Sylvester reacted to open the door. Sliding widely, Snowdon came back a little dirty and sweaty from the heat.

"How was it?" Sylvester asked. "Is it safe?" The door gently closed behind the polar bear.

"The good news is we found a way to the next deck." Snowdon announced. "The bad news is that our intentional escape route to the engine room is blocked. Too much smoke and completely piled up and destroyed. We made a path where we can walk through. So, come on, one at the time." He ordered the group. "Rycroft, open the door."

Once again, Rycroft opens the door. Snowdon glanced at the group and continued, "There's a lot of bodies, it's not pretty sight. And don't touch anything! Everything's hot!"

The awaited group finally got their green light to the door. Sylvester patiently saw one-by-one stepping through the door before he could walk in the kitchen galley with the rest. The door slowly closed automatically shut behind them. Seeing a different part of the ship than the ballroom like the kitchen galley is worst they see here so far. The place is hard to tell if this was even an industrial galley to begin with. Snowdon gestures everyone to follow him the direction to go where he cleared away a path.

"Watch out for pipes and lighting fixtures." Snowdon warned. "Follow me."

The group marched almost in line behind one another, watching their steps for any tricky obstacles that could fool their footing. The poor cooks or chefs lie around scattered around them. Nothing they could do to save them. Foxley and Jennings somehow got out on time in the pantry before they could have been crushed by every single industrial equipment -something suddenly sounded like it felt and got lose and slammed on the ground, Stephanie screamed out loud and turned to embrace her father sobbing. Rycroft and Jett glanced at the dead body of a shark-man cook with frightening bloody teeth and some teeth knocked out on the ground. Rycroft quickly took off his black tuxedo jacket and covered it on the body.

"Stephanie, is okay." Her father comforted. "Keep walking." He kept her by his side close to her and moving on with the others.

Arriving where Kershaw and Jennings are, the group surrounds the dark opened elevator door. Looking at it in wonder. Portia Matthews speaks up, "What is this?"

Snowdon responded, "This is our way to the next deck." He pointed. "We walk through the plank and climb up the other door above." He explained to everyone.

"Doesn't seem too bad." Carolyn said.

"But first, I would like a hand here." Snowdon eyed directly to Maxwell.

"Me?" He awkwardly pointed himself.

"The door above is half-open. I was wondering if you could squeeze through it."

"I may be a cat, but it doesn't mean that I can..." he paused a short moment and continued, "Alright, alright. I'll do it."

Jennings and Kershaw went back holding the makeshift bridge as Snowdon went first and stand by the other side against the blocked door. Maxwell followed and saw the opening gap above. "It isn't too bad, huh?" Snowdon quipped.

"You'll say." He retorted. Snowdon clasped his hands to make a step so Killian can step on his shoulders and reach up the door. "Excuse me." Snowdon expected him to be heavy but it turns out he's kind of light weight. Killian grabbed a hold of the thin opened frame and off the bear-man's shoulders. "Here we go." He slipped his right arm and leg and squeezed through the four-inch opening with his whole body and head. "I'm in." He said. "Zoey, come on!"

"Coming." She rogered. Walking through and meets with Snowdon. "Here I go." She steps on Snowdon's clasped hands and the other foot on his shoulder and thirdly steps her leg inside the thin gap. She squeezed and slips throughly. "I made it."

"Help me open the doors, darling." Killian ordered. He grabbed a side and Zoey the other and together push the doors away from each other. Now opened and in the clear. The rest can climb without squeezing through. "There we go. Now is easier."

"Children and ladies first." Zoey started. "The little pup first. Come on."

"Sasha, I'll be behind you." Joshua assured. The young shepherd thought this was going to be easy like climbing the tree, but there is a deep dark well under him. "Don't look down, alright?" He nodded his father and stepped on the plank. Sasha slowly walks.

"It's okay," Snowdon tries to calm him. "Just don't look down." He extents a hand at him.

Sasha suddenly looks up in wonder and looks back at Snowdon, frightened. "There's an elevator above!"

"Look at me! Look at me!" Snowdon directed him. Sasha sharply fixed his sight at the white bear-man. "Just a few more steps." With his big white hand, Sasha grabs it and come closer to him. "Excellent, I'm gonna lift you up, alright?" With both hands, he easily lifted the little pup up. "Aren't you a big boy, are you?" High above him, Killian and Zoey reached him and safely made it above. "Phew."

Parkinson sighted in relief, "Ah, good boy!"

"You did great, Sasha!" Zoey cheered.

"Come on, Parkinson." Snowdon ordered. Now it was Joshua's turn, this time Snowdon will lift someone heavier unlike the first three. Doing the same steps, Snowdon grunts as he lifts Joshua to the opening above. "Phew. Who's next?"

Stephanie, Jett and Carolyn followed. Aubrey torn her dress by the knees as she should have done it earlier. "Foxley, do you think you can climb it?" Aubrey asked.

"That depends." The fox-man stated. "But it couldn't be that difficult."

After Aubrey climbed up the next level, Malcolm said, "Portia, you better get on ahead."

"N-No, I'll wait last." She replied.

Malcolm noticed her looking where they came from. "If I see you going back, I'm not going to stop you."

"You're really are rude!" Portia glared. "What happened to the old Malcolm?"

"I'm glad you're getting to know me a little better outside of work." He revealed.

"We've only been on this cruise for four days! What else we could have known each other?"

"If you only didn't waste interviewing those celebrities, we could have gotten along well on the trip."

Then the wolf-man intervened, "I hate to interrupt, but you both get a room!"

"Well, it's not my fault this colleague of mine made me go with you guys." Portia retorted. "So much for my article, I knew I should have published it sooner."

"Your article?" Malcolm scoffed. "I already took cared of it." And remarked.

"What?"

"I already sent it to Chief Editor Markus, he'll take care the rest." The Rottweiler added. "You also forgot to write my name on it." He was sounding a little sour every statement he speaks. "I can't believe you didn't added what I written. Are you trying to trash their lives' career of their aftermath? How could you!?" He yelled. "I knew I should have listen to my colleagues the moment you came in the business. I also know that you cheated on that contest for this fucking cruise you wanted. You really are trash, you scumbag!"

Portia lost her speech she was about to ask, but she glared at the dog-man. "How dare you!"

"Would you two shut up!" Sylvester interrupted. "This isn't the time for arguments."

It's Foxley's turn and patiently walks through the plank. Meeting with Snowdon, he said, "You better sacrifice your ankle, Foxley."

"Yes, I see..." Nervously replied. His left uninjured foot took the first step on Snowdon's clasped hands and sacrificially stepped his right injured foot on the left shoulder and the third step comfortably reaches the opening as Snowdon lifts him up. "Careful!" He almost lost his balance but was helped by Joshua. "Oh, thank you."

Sylvester and Kale followed until it was Ryder's turns to walk the plank. The wolf-man noticed how sore Snowdon was, he's getting tired. "Hey, I think you should lay it off. Let someone do it for you." Wolfson said.

"I'm fine -Keep up." Snowdon said. Ryder didn't say anything and climbed up to the next deck. He didn't hesitate to ask again. From above he said, "Snowdon, let someone do it for you."

Sylvester followed, "He's right. Hey, Kershaw, takes his place." Kershaw from below nodded.

"Come on, Snowdon, let me take it from here." The lion-man said. "But I need someone to hold this for me." He added.

"I'll do it." The Rottweiler took his position and holds still the one of the legs of the long stool with Jennings. "I got it still."

Snowdon walked out of the plank and Kershaw replaces him. "Come on, lady, out you go." Kershaw directed at Portia.

"N-no, let Ricky Martin do it." She refused.

Rico stared at her in confusion with her statement. "What the hell, I'm -right, fine, I'll go." Rico stands on the plank until an object banged right in the middle of the little bridge. Rico and Kershaw stood aback from the surprise and the object bounced back and fell down the well with a splash. "Que carajo!?" He looks up and remembered the elevator that Sasha pointed out.

"Come on!" Kershaw harshly grunted.

"Portia, you're next, come on!" Malcolm ordered as he and Jennings pressed hard on the plank together.

"After what you've said to me? I no way, Jose!" Portia retorted.

"I had enough." Snowdon muttered. Stepping behind of the female blonde human.

"What are doing?" He grabs firmly on her shoulders and pushes her forward. "Hey! Let me go! No!"

"Don't resist, just climb." Snowdon monotonously said.

Handing her to him, Kershaw lifts her like a porcelain doll she is, and Sylvester and Joshua reached her by the arms. She shrieked all the way up until meeting up with a stoic and disappointed face of Jett Rycroft and Aubrey Quinlivan. Snowdon climbs up by default as he was already on the plank. Once there, he looks below. Kershaw, Jennings and Robertson are the only ones left.

"Who's next?" Kershaw started.

The Rottweiler was the first to speak, "You go," he patens the steward's shoulders. "I'll hold it. Your colleague is waiting for you." Jennings nodded and timidly stepped on the plank. Malcolm holds both legs of the stool as Jennings meets with Kershaw and helped him climb up the other deck above. Now the last one of the finish line.

"We better keep it steady, or it'll fall off." Malcolm said.

"Hurry!" Snowdon shouted.

The dog-man gently makes his steps towards Kershaw. Ignoring what's above him and behind him that no one is holding the stool steady. Kershaw extends a hand to reach him...

The ship rumbled... She trembled... She roared...

Both loses their footing when the stool bridge swipes out of its supporting ledges. Falling into the well with a splash. One of them screamed. But one didn't. Snowdon and Sylvester reacted, and both grabbed a hand each of the lion-man. Another splash within a scream followed when after the stool fell into the water-filled shaft when another scream mixed with metallic sound followed, screeching high-pitched and rising its volume louder like a falling atomic bomb. Kershaw saw in seconds looking above, the elevator plunging from above with literal fireballs and failing emergency breaks screaming tightly against the rails. Snowdon and Sylvester pulled the old lion-man in before the flamed lifter passed their floor in a blink of an eye and loudly crash-splashed with a humongous salt-watered foam reaching and drenching through the opened door at the group. A few got soaked but not wet entirely. The slashed water rains back down the well. The ship didn't finish, another rumbling explosion came down from below. The rocking shakes loudly and the party falls off guard. The giant beast moans in pain as it ceases...

A short silence from the close call.

"You okay, Kershaw?" Sylvester huffed.

The old lion-man breathed, "I'm fine... Thank you..."

Portia's facial expression was, what could only mean; terror, stunned, blank-faced, trembled, paled, and mostly of all: shocked. Paralyzingly shocked. She stammered, "H-he...he-he's-he's..." Her voice is breaking apart but managed to panic...

"HE'S DEAD!!! OH MY GOD!!! HE'S DEAD!!! MALCOLM!!!!" The blonde female human screamed like a lunatic from an asylum, so out of control that she rushed towards to the opened elevator door. Snowdon immediately grabbed her from reaching through. She screams hysterically but Snowdon managed to keep her still. "Let go of me! Let go of me!" He she yelled at him, then another roar from the ship rocked violently. The group crouched down in force. Portia kept screaming.