The Crash Box Set, page 118
part #1 of EMP Crash Series
“Did you ever think back when we were walking through the forest, or sitting outside that mental hospital, that we'd end up here, with problems as mundane as figuring out how to love someone in a world like this?”
“That's not much of a problem to have. If you want to love someone you just do it, and everything else works itself out.”
“You really think it's that easy?”
“I didn't say it was easy. I just mean that if you love someone, then that's something that you can be sure of, that you draw strength from. There's so much uncertainty all around us that it's nice to have something like that, something you can count on. And, no, I didn't think I'd be here at all. Look at me, I'm taking care of orphans and teaching them how to live after an apocalypse, while the woman I'm with is teaching them about math and English and things. My future certainly has changed, along with the world.”
“Mine, too,” Grace said as she ruminated on Saul's words.
At one point, she had been sure she loved Luis, but now? She couldn't say. The time away from New Haven hadn't really helped her in the way she had hoped. She wanted the solution to come forward itself, but it didn't seem as though it was going to be that easy.
“I think they're down here,” she said as the two of them walked down a corridor.
They opened the doors and found their friends, who looked much as Tristan did, worn down and exhausted. There were cries of relief as Grace and Saul moved from room to room, untying the ropes that had bound them together. Then, as a unit, they all helped each other back off the ship. They managed to make it back to shore, leaving the ship behind, as an empty shell that had housed inhumane horrors.
When they returned to shore Tristan was looking a little more like himself. Although they wanted to get back to New Haven as quickly as possible, Grace was aware that those who had been imprisoned needed time to get their strength back. While they waited, Grace and Saul spoke to Tristan. He told them all that had happened on the ship, about how the sailors had fed him on the fish that swam close to the pier. And how he never knew why they had captured him, since they hadn't said anything about what they wanted him for. Thankfully, they had managed to retrieve everyone, and none of them had suffered the same fate as those whose remains they had found in the kitchen. Grace hugged Tristan and apologized for what happened, and promised him she would get him home soon. Then she walked over to the sailors, a pitiful lot, but she found that she couldn't say anything to them because she simply didn't know what to say.
When everyone was ready Grace made sure the sailors were bound together so none of them could run away. She had people keep a close watch on them at all times as she took the lead and started to make their way back to New Haven. Before she left, however, she took one long, last look out at the docks and at the sea. The horizon looked so beautiful, with purple hues cascading across the sky over the shimmering water. Yet, being lost out there at sea had caused these men to do something grotesque, and Grace hoped that nothing had happened at New Haven in their absence.
Chapter 9
It was a long march back to New Haven, and not many words were exchanged between them. The sailors shuffled along, tied together like a row of prisoners to ensure that none of them could escape. Grace made it clear that if anything had happened to the people she loved in New Haven, then they would pay the price, and that there was no version of that story where they got out alive. Eventually, they returned. By this point, Tristan and the others who had been held prisoner were about to collapse, and only the thought of being back in New Haven had kept them going for this long. The barriers were opened, and all eyes were on this procession as it entered the settlement. People stopped what they were doing and watched as the sailors came back. Grace marched straight up to Flint, who was standing around with his men, and pointed her gun directly at his head.
People gasped with tension. The other sailors looked at each other, then at their brothers, who already had been captured, and they also bristled. It hadn't taken long for word to spread, and soon everyone was outside. Maggie and Luis rushed up to the scene. Luis had mixed feelings, for he had missed Grace and wanted to talk to her, but now was not the time or the place. Mack was there too, wondering what had happened. He had been concerned for Grace since he hadn't had the chance to warn her. Although he was pleased to see she had handled things, and seemed as though she knew more than him.
Maggie drew her gun too, although she wasn't sure who to point it at, so she kept it aimed at the ground. She looked at Tristan, and saw the state he was in. It had taken everything she had to maintain her role as sheriff, when all she wanted to do was to go over to her son, give him a hug, and take care of him. He looked as though he was about to drop, and he still was standing only because Saul was letting Tristan lean on him, but he offered his mother a weak smile. Others in New Haven quickly ran up and offered aid to those who needed it, wrapping warm blankets around them. Yet, they had done this in silence because they could see things were tense, and any sudden movements could have proven costly.
“Arrest this man and all his men,” Grace declared, her voice loud and clear in the evening.
Her hand didn't waver. Flint raised his hands and wore a clenched smile, his dark gaze moving from Grace to his men. Mack looked on with a furrowed brow, and he shared a look with Hank. Oliver was with the other sailors and looked extremely agitated, especially since he was the recipient of some awful glares. Nobody dared to move.
“What's going on Grace?” Maggie asked.
“When we got back to the ship Tristan was swimming toward us. The sailors tried to attack, but we managed to overcome them. It turns out they've been keeping a little secret from us. They're cannibals. That's how they survived out at sea for so long. They ate the other sailors.”
At the mention of this, more weapons were raised, and the sailors' heads dropped. Loud murmurs also began rippling through the crowd that had gathered. Nobody quite knew how to process the information. They all were as shocked as Grace and Saul had been when they first discovered it.
“We found human remains in the kitchen,” Grace added, before any of the sailors could defend themselves.
Mack barely could believe his ears. He knew the sailors were hiding something, but he never expected it to be this. He almost felt betrayed by Flint. He could have taken that man into his confidence, yet he had harbored that secret. He walked forward and stood beside Maggie.
“Were you ever going to tell us?” Mack asked. Flint sighed, shook his head, and chuckled in the face of defeat.
“Would you ever tell anyone? You can see now why I wanted to keep it a secret. Why I was willing to go to any lengths to keep our secret,” he said, his voice getting angrier as he turned his glowering face toward the sailors who had been captured.
“You should have been more careful. This never should have happened.” His voice was heavy with disappointment. Mack only could stare at him in disbelief.
“Let's get them locked up,” Maggie said.
She and Luis, with the help of Saul and a few other people, escorted Flint and the sailors away to be locked up for the time being. Mack scratched at his jaw, then summoned Hank, Freddie, and Grace to go with him so they could discuss what to do. Before he left he told everyone to try getting on with things as normal. Although he knew it was a futile wish, since how could they, when faced with something so unusual?
The friends walked in silence to Mack's office. When they sat down nobody knew where to begin. Eventually, Mack slammed his hands down on his desk.
“I don't know what to say.”
“I guess we know why Oliver was so torn up,” Hank said. Freddie and Grace gave him a questioning glance, and Hank quickly explained how Oliver was torn between his sin and his loyalty to the sailors. Although Oliver never said exactly what the sin was.
“And now we must decide what to do with them,” Mack said gravely.
“Can there be any forgiveness for them?” Grace asked, looking at Hank.
Hank shifted in his seat uncomfortably. “I know we want to try rehabilitating criminals, but we were talking about things like petty theft. I'm not sure what we're supposed to do here. This is almost too big for us to handle. I'd like to say we could forgive them, but the opinion of them is already pretty low, and I'm not sure anyone is going to be comfortable having them around. If they had been model citizens first, I perhaps could make a case for this being an aberration, and over time they could be absorbed into the community. However, given what's already happened, I don't see how anyone in New Haven is going to be in favor of keeping them around here.”
“And there was absolutely no doubt about what you saw?” Mack asked.
“None whatsoever. This happened, Mack. I don't know the details. I'm assuming they did it because they had no other choice, but even if I was in that situation I'd like to think I'd do anything before doing that.” The thought still disgusted her, and it was difficult for her to imagine that behavior actually taking place.
Freddie replied, “I'd like to at least keep a few of them around to explore the psychology of it. There have been similar cases where people have been stranded at sea and resorted to such measures. It's quite fascinating, really, because the brain actually adapts to survive. For example, it will make things seem appetizing. So, you actually want to eat it, rather than just eating it to survive. It's amazing how the brain works, and this would be a unique opportunity to learn more about what happens, and the effect it has. Those men out there must be suffering terribly. It explains why they're so close, I suppose. They were brought together by this great guilt and shame. I'm sure none of them felt proud of it, but they are loyal to each other, and wanted to protect the secret. I wonder how they even can sleep at night, or function in this normal society. What must they have thought when they saw us? I presume they were envious that we had managed to build New Haven into a functioning community, while they had to resort to cannibalism to survive.”
“I'm sure this would be interesting, but these are men we're talking about, not lab rats, and we can't afford to keep them around just because it would be interesting to talk to them,” Mack said, getting irritated by Freddie's rambling.
“How would we decide who we keep anyway? This crime is almost too big for us to punish. We're not equipped to deal with it, not on an intellectual level, or a moral level. I'm not going to lie to you, I'm at a loss here, guys. We've already said that we're not going to impose the death penalty on anyone, but sending them back out into the city doesn't seem right, and we can't keep them here. Hank, you're right when you say that never would work. There was a time when I thought they could be valuable additions to New Haven, but we must turn them away. It just doesn't seem right to allow their stay when they've done so many bad things.” Mack added.
“Whatever you do, I doubt it will be worse than what their consciences already are doing to them. When I confronted them about it, they all hung their heads in shame,” Grace said. “I think now that it's out in the open, they'll have to confront what they've done. They can't hide anymore, or deny that it happened. Don't forget, Tristan and the others as well, were left behind under false pretenses, and then kept against their will.”
“I know,” Mack said, but it was clear he was wrestling with this decision. He inhaled deeply as he tried finding some guidance. “I have to go talk to Flint,” he said.
“Are you sure that's wise?” Hank warned.
“There are still things I need to know, things I need to understand.” And with that he was off.
All the sailors were locked up where they had been before. Mack went in and had Flint brought out so they could have a private moment together. To his credit, Flint still walked with his shoulders back and his head held high, still a proud captain, even though his crew's shame had been exposed.
“I've been trying to work through this, but it's just too much for my mind to grasp. Can you explain this?” Mack said.
“What is there to explain? We've committed one of the worst crimes any man can commit. I told you we faced the darkest parts of ourselves. We were out there for months. Our ship was dead. There were no communications, no signs of other life. As far as we knew, we were the only souls in the world. We'd worked out how long it was going to take us to get back to land, and it was too long. All the cargo we were transporting was industrial.
“The food we had wasn't going to last us the whole way, and then we found out that rats were on board and had gotten to the supply. The sea was barren where we were, and we weren't a fishing vessel, so we didn't have any nets to catch fish. We just were on a big hunk of metal, waiting to die. When the food started running out, all of us knew the possibility. It was either all of us died, or some of us had to live with the burden of doing it. It never was easy. We never enjoyed it. We did it because it had to be done so the crew could live.”
As he spoke, a strange look came across Flint's face, as though he only now was realizing the gravity of what they had done. “How did you decide who was...who was chosen?” Mack choked out.
“We drew lots. Every man. Even me. We all were equal. It became a ritual. We knew we were turning into monsters, but none of us wanted to die, yet we all were ready to give our lives to save each other. Maybe some of them wanted to be eaten because that was easier than living with the guilt of what we'd done.”
“And why did you take my people captive? Were you planning an attack here?”
“No,” Flint said, smiling as he bowed his head. When he raised it again Mack saw that his eyes were glistening with tears.
“This place is wonderful, Mack, it really is. I only wished that we would have been able to find it sooner. We held them against their will because we couldn't risk anyone finding out what had happened. We were worried and scared, and didn't know what type of people you were. We were going to sort it out, but then Oliver talked to you and we weren't ready. I understand that you need to punish us, but please, just take me. Do whatever you like to me. You can string me up as an example, you can do anything to me. I'm their captain, and I should be punished. I was the one who gave the ultimate order. I did what I could to get the majority of my crew to shore, and I should be the one to face the consequences.”
Mack looked at him and saw the desperation in the man's eyes, and he was filled with pity. Ever since he first had met Flint, Mack had seen that they had a lot in common, and part of that was a devotion to the people they led. Mack wondered if there was any part of him that could have made the same decision if he was pushed as far as Flint had been. But as much pity as he felt for the captain, he was cold in his reply.
“I can't let any of you stay in New Haven. I'm going to talk to my council, and I'll come back later with our decision.” Flint was taken back to his cell, while Mack went back to the people he trusted the most.
They debated for a long time about what to do. Not all of them agreed with the plan that Mack wanted to put in place, but none of them could come up with a good alternative. So, in the end, none of them walked out of Mack's office not entirely satisfied. The sailors were brought out before the people of New Haven as the council stood by them. Mack stepped forward and delivered their sentence.
“In this world, we are faced with many challenges, and we must choose what we think is best to ensure the safety and survival of the people we love. I cannot in any way condone what these men did to the people they sailed with. I also cannot come up with a fitting punishment, and one that wouldn't be a drain on our resources as well. But I also know that the weight of what they have done is going to stay with them for the rest of their lives. Every time they look at each other, they will have to remember what they have done to the other members of their crew. In some ways, that's the most horrible punishment of all. The council and I have agreed that we have no choice but to exile you from New Haven. You are men of the sea. I suggest you get back on your ship and sail far, far away from here, and never darken this part of the world with your presence again.”
It was perhaps the most merciful punishment they could have been given. Although some in New Haven would argue they needed a more brutal form of punishment, they couldn't argue with anything that Mack had said. Each person in New Haven had done things they hadn't been proud of, and they could see how the sailors would be haunted by their past. In silence, their restraints were removed and they were shown to the gates of New Haven, where they were escorted out. The sailors walked into the city, never to be heard from again.
Chapter 10
A little later, in the evening, when the Moon hung high in the sky and the stars sparkled beside it, people were settling down for their evening meal. They were sitting in a circle and a fire crackled in the middle of it. All the couples were together, except Grace and Luis, who were sitting on opposite sides of the fire. Silence was all around them after the events of the day, and each of them had much on their minds. Most of them didn't have much of an appetite given what they had learned, but Saul was eating heartily.
“I don't know how you can eat at a time like this,” Luis said. Saul paused for a moment to look at Luis and shrugged, then continued eating.
“They must have been so desperate,” Anna said. “I wonder what it was like on that ship.”
“I can't even imagine,” Freddie said.
“I can,” Maggie replied. People were stunned into silence.
“I think we all can. Think about everything we've been through. Weren't there moments when you were faced with death and you knew you'd give anything to make it through? They were on a ship with nowhere else to go. It couldn’t have been an easy conversation, but it was one they had to have.”
“I wonder if Flint had to order any of them to be eaten if they resisted,” Mack said.
“I guess we'll never know now,” Anna said.
Freddie set down his plate and leaned forward. “It makes you wonder what other people out there are doing, people who weren't as fortunate as us. Sometimes it's easy to forget that billions of people all over the world are trying to survive, and not all of them will make it. I doubt Flint and his men were the only ones to turn to cannibalism. It makes you think about what we'd all be willing to do to survive.”
