From the Author's Mind: (June 2011)
Now here is Edited Version Chapter 7. As per usual… things go a little wonky around Whitestone Academy. Or whatever it's official name is. Silver Imperial Moon Crystal, bitches.
*NOTE* This takes place about… ten minutes after Chapter 6 ends.
Chapter 7
"Children!" hissed Ms. Bitters as the students in Building C huddled away from the dripping water, "A state of flood emergency has been called for in this area. We are to remain in this building overnight."
"With the guys?" wailed Sheena.
"It's alright, sweety, I'll keep you warm," said Zelos, snickering.
"But what about me?" Tak asked, looking shocked, "I thought you loved me!"
"I do," Zelos said, and then whispered, "I'm just trying to make her uncomfortable."
"Then do this," said Tak, shooting another fireball at Sheena. Sheena screamed and tripped over another student, her hair on fire. Zelos and Tak collapsed into laughter.
"IDIOT CHOSEN!" Sheena roared, using her favorite term for Zelos.
"BE QUIET!" Gaz hissed, still seething from Lloyd's comments, "The terror speaks."
"Also," Ms. Bitters said, "Since this emergency has been declared, we are required by the school to extend all due dates ahead. Your Health Projects will be due tomorrow, so work on them!"
"We have class on a Saturday?" Ron cried.
"I guess so," said Harry, flatly, "Which is utterly stupid."
"Oh man…" Genis moaned, "Why do I have to work with Hermione?"
"Why do I have to work with you?" Hermione snapped, "I'd rather do my own project."
"Fine," Genis said, "Here's what we'll do. You can work on the pictures, and I'll do the research—"
"NO way!" Hermione shouted, "I'm researching, you can do the art!"
"Both of you, shut up!" snarled Gaz, "You're making my head bleed."
"TAK! We shall commence our partnership tonight!" Zim said, "I will… ASSIST… you… in… this… project…"
"No, I don't think so, Zim," said Tak, "I'm going to be doing the art for Zelos' project. You're on your own, good-bye!"
She and Zelos walked away, arm-in-arm. Sheena followed, still smoldering slightly. Zim ranted to the ceiling about Tak for a little while and then decided to go find Girtrude, who was attacking Ron with what he called his "Biscotti Specialie," which was actually a bunch of different types of noodles and spaghetti rolled into a big whip.
"OY! Get off of me!" Ron snarled, swinging at Girtrude.
She giggled, ducked, and smiled at him, "You're funny!"
"You know, mate," said Harry, "I think Girtrude likes you."
"Mate? You two are mates?" asked Zim, eyebrows raised.
"What?" asked Ron, "Oh, of course we are."
"… ew…" said Zim, then, to Girtrude, "Gir… trude, I don't think you should communicate with these two… ever again…"
"Huh? How come?" asked Harry.
"Well, you are mates…" said Zim quietly, "And… well, where I came from, two males being mates is a bit unnatural…"
"Wait, what?" Ron exclaimed, "NO! You have it wrong, by mates we mean friends…"
"No, no, it's quite alright, I understand. You two go do… matey... things… Girtrude and I must go work on… stuff," said Zim, nudging Girtrude away.
"LET'S MAKE MORE YOGURT!" said Girtrude.
"Yes… yogurt…" said Zim, glancing in a terrified way back at Harry and Ron.
"I can't believe this… he thinks we're…" said Ron.
"Yeah, I know," said Harry, "But look at it this way: now we won't have to worry about him or Girtrude…"
"I suppose not…" said Ron, sighing.
"Where's Dib? I want to get this project over and done with," said Gaz, as she approached Presea and Iggins (who was listing all the things he knew about their disease from his various Oregon Trail video games).
"There," Presea said, pointing to a broom cupboard. Her eye twitched as Iggins went into a rant about how the Grippe could be cured with lecithin or something like it.
"Thanks," Gaz said, walking over. She threw open the door to see Dib sitting on a bucket, looking horribly depressed.
"What?" asked Dib, eye full of tears, "Why are you bothering me now? I've lost the love of my life, why do you have to make it worse?"
"You're being dumb," Gaz said, "I already am going to get revenge for you, and you'll owe me for that, by the way."
"But Colette hates me," said Dib.
"Open your eyes, idiot," Gaz spat, "She's been looking for you for about ten minutes, but you're hiding here. It's pathetic."
"What?" gasped Dib, "Colette's been looking for me!"
"She wants to give you back your sword or something," said Gaz, flatly.
"Oh…" Dib said, "Well… I'm not worthy enough to be with her."
"That's fine, be that way. But I'm going to make you finish that project if it's the last thing I do," said Gaz, "I will not get a failing grade or you shall feel my wrath and you know by now that my wrath is not something fun to feel, have we an understanding?"
"Yes," said Dib, "Let's go…"
"Hey, Colette," said Neville, "Are we gonna do our project?"
"Sure, what's our disease again?" asked Colette.
"Smallpox," said Neville, "We have to do research on smallpox."
"Oh! I saw a picture of a person with smallpox in one of our textpackets!" Colette said excitedly.
"Really? Where was it?" asked Neville.
"Here!" Colette said, getting the paper and showing him the picture. It showed the face, arms, and legs of a guy with smallpox.
"Poor guy, sleep must be his only escape," said Neville.
"Sleep?" Colette said, confused.
"Yeah, look, his eyes are closed and…" said Neville.
"Oh! No, he's dead," Colette said, happily.
"… huh?" asked Neville.
"Yeah, he died like ten minutes before they took this picture," said Colette conversationally.
Neville suddenly paled and looked kinda nauseous. He smiled at Colette, and then dashed out of the room, probably looking for the nearest bathroom. Colette skipped after him, shouting about how she had more pictures for their project to show him.
"Luna, where are you?" Ginny asked, searching for her partner.
Luna crashed through a window, showering a few students with broken glass. She was wearing a jetpack and slammed into the wall before sliding to the ground. She stood up, unplugged her vest, and then walked over to Ginny, smiling happily.
"Sorry, the CIA needed me to dispose of some things. Bodies, for example," said Luna, "What did you need me for?"
"… uh… we have to start our project," said Ginny, "It's on Beriberi, right?"
"Unless I'm mistaken, it is," said Luna, gleefully, "Let's go to the Library before something terrible happens."
"Right. Optimism," Ginny said with a sigh.
THE LIBRARY~
At nine, everyone met in the Library. They broke up into their groups for their research… or, rather, almost everyone did. Hermione and Genis, having spent 3 hours arguing over who would do the actual research, had gone to opposite ends of the Library and both began to do research. Zelos and Tak retreated to some private, back shelves abandoning Sheena and Zim, who both began to look up and do their diseases by themselves. Girtrude had reattached herself to Ron, and was singing a song about chickens and erasers while Ron attempted to research Hematologic Bovine Pox, while also helping Harry and Lloyd do their Black Insomnia, Infectious Subtype report.
They all worked at it for more than two and a half hours. By eleven thirty, many were done with their work, and the Library was one of the few rooms that hadn't sprung a leak quite yet. Ms. Bitters sat at the Library desk, staring at a stack of books. Among the finished groups were Ginny and Luna, Harry and Lloyd, Ron and Girtrude, Presea and Iggins, and Sheena and Zelos (although Zelos and Tak hadn't returned from the bookshelves).
"This is so stupid," Gaz muttered as she and Dib continued to finish up the report of Aquired Athlete's Salmonella. Dib nodded sadly, and kept shooting glances over to Colette, where she and Neville were still hard at work on their Smallpox paper (although Neville kept having to leave the room whenever he saw a picture of a dead body with smallpox). Gaz sighed and returned to writing the conclusion.
"The Library will be shut down at midnight," Ms. Bitters called, "So be quick!"
"Well, I'm going to bed," said one student, one nobody recognized. He and his partner left, and the only people left in the room were the Symphonia, Hogwarts, and the smudged-named town groups. The time was eleven thirty-nine and two seconds.
"Well, we're done," said Colette as she and Neville closed their textpackets, now the last group done.
An almighty crash came from one end of the school, followed by a series of shrieks, bangs, and a huge shaking going through the building. Many people were thrown from their seats, and some were jarred out of nearly-unconscious sleeps. Ms. Bitters frowned, stood up, and walked towards a window while everyone else regained their feet.
"Colette, what did you do now?" asked Zelos.
"I don't know," said Colette, looking horrified, "Did I break the school?"
"No," said Neville, "I don't think so."
"I'm going to see what happened," Ginny said, quickly exiting.
"That was the weirdest thing I've ever felt," said Harry, "It couldn't have been an earthquake, could it?"
"It was probably Girtrude blowing up another building," said Ron.
"Nope! I'm right here!" sang Girtrude, who had attached himself to Dib's face and was preventing respiration.
"Get off," said Gaz, shoving Girtrude to the floor. Dib gasped and fell to the ground.
"Hey… is it just me or does the floor seem just a wee bit tilted?" asked Iggins.
"It has changed 1.39 degrees," confirmed Presea.
The door suddenly burst open and Ginny rushed in. Her jeans and shoes were soaked, and she trailed water behind her. Her face was stricken, and everyone immediately crowded around her.
"Guys, we have a huge problem," said Ginny, "Follow me."
They left the Library, many taking their projects with them. They followed Ginny through the hall, down the stairs, and across another hall. Some thought they could hear running water. Ginny rounded the corner and stopped.
"Look," she said.
They were correct, there indeed was water. A lot of it. It had begun to fill the other end of the hallway, and was creeping up to them rather quickly. Worse, at the far end of the hallway was a bunch of debris, including pieces of the floor above. Part of the school had collapsed, trapping the students on the other side.
"Oh my God!" Hermione cried.
"This is bad, oh so bad," said Zelos.
"What happened?" wailed Neville.
"Improperly installed roof beams, added with the stress of a waterlogged floor, as well as the weight of the students triggered a very horrible collapse," said Genis, "If anyone on the other side survived, they'll be lucky."
"Well, now what?" asked Sheena, "What are we supposed to do now?"
"Assuming the water continued to rise at the constant rate it was at earlier," continued Genis, "It's likely that we are now floating in about four hundred feet of water, and it is also very likely that this building is going to sink."
"You mean…" Ron gasped.
"Yep. Titanic Version 2.0," said Genis.
"Wow! You're really smart, Genis," Colette said happily.
"Show-off…" muttered Hermione darkly, and then squealing when the first bit of water touched her ankle.
"Ms. Bitters!" cried Dib, "What do we do?"
"I was once a ship's captain…" Ms. Bitters said, triggering another flashback at a really bad time.
This time, she stood on top of a cruise ship, wearing full admiral garb. She even had one of those really weird admiral hat things, an eye patch, and a woodpecker on her shoulder. She stood erect, her hand outstretched in a dramatic pose. Around her, people did cruise activities.
"Life on the open seas was rough, but I got by," continued Ms. Bitters' voice, "Until one day, when the horrible sea monster of fate got us..."
The boat chugged along through the ocean. A seagull sat in the water, munching on a jellyfish. The boat ran into it, sank within two seconds, and Ms. Bitters' hat floated to the top of the ocean. The flashback brought them back to everyone standing knee-deep in freezing water, most shivering.
"To the lifeboats," said the teacher, turning abruptly.
"… why does the school building have lifeboats?" asked Tak.
"In case this happened, DUH!" replied Gaz, as Ms. Bitters flew out of sight.
"Come on!" Neville cried, leading the way out of the water.
They re-traced their steps and ran back towards the Library. However, as they got to the Library doors, the ship lurched again and part of the roof collapsed, and the Library tore off completely and fell down into the water below. Lloyd wailed that his project was still inside, and Sheena hit him very hard with her hand. With that escape route cut off, the group had to return to the bottom floor, where the water had already reached their waists.
"It's so cold!" whined Zelos.
"Shut up and swim!" roared Harry.
"Isn't there a way we could use magic to help us get out?" asked Neville.
"N-No," said Hermione through chattering teeth, "No t-t-time… we'll f-f-freeze."
"I see a staircase!" said Ginny, paddling ahead of them. The floor had tilted very far now, and the water was creeping up on them.
"Hurry!" cried Harry, reaching the bottom of the stairs and helping hoist people up to start. Hermione, Genis, Presea, Zelos, Tak, Colette, Dib, Gaz, and Iggins were the first ones to go up, followed by Girtrude, Neville, Luna, Lloyd, Sheena, and Ron. Just as Harry and Ginny were about to mount the stairs, the ship shuddered horribly again, and the stairs snapped about halfway between the two groups. Hermione, Genis, Presea, Zelos, Tak, Colette, Dib, and Gaz managed to cling to the railing, but everyone after and including Iggins fell with the stairs, landing on the third floor's landing, just about eight feet above the water.
"Go on!" called Harry up to them, "Get to the Boat Deck and get yourselves out! We'll meet you there later!"
"Alright!" Hermione called back, "Be careful, Harry!"
"We will!" Harry replied, "Come on, guys, we've got to find an alternate route.
"Hey, Harry…" said Ron, "Have you seen Zim?"
Zim
Zim, meanwhile, had stayed behind in the Library. He didn't want to go anywhere near the water, as it would burn him horribly. So, instead, he remained among the books and shelves, debating on what he should do. He saw a few pieces and bits of left-behind projects and cursed Ms. Bitters for making him do the stupid project in the first place. As the school lurched again, Zim found himself lying on the floor.
"CURSE YOU HUMANS AND YOUR H2O!" Zim roared, "CURSE YOUUUUUUUUU!"
The school shook very violently this time. Suddenly, there was a loud, ripping noise, and the lights in the Library went out. Zim found himself in darkness, except for the light of the moon outside, which was still visible despite the rain. Zim blinked, and then the whole side of the building ripped away and Zim screamed blue murder as he and the books around him fell to the water. The splash was unearthly, but that was nothing to the pain he suddenly felt when three bookcases fell on top of him.
"Gir! Trude!" called Zim into his microphone, "Come get me, I'm in the Library!"
"Say por favor," Girtrude replied.
"I won't say it!" Zim replied, and then suddenly felt the icy touch of water on his boots, "Fine! Fine! Por favor!"
"Si, yo voy a hora," Girtrude called.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT HAT MEANS, JUST GET DOWN HERE!" Zim cried as he climbed on top of a stack of bookshelves. Around him, the water flowed in, and it was almost up to the windows.
Hermione, Genis, Presea, Zelos, Tak, Colette, Dib, Gaz
"Hermione, where do we go from here?" asked Colette after the group had gotten their bearings on the fourth floor. The main staircase was destroyed, and the water was rising quickly. Genis estimated that they had about thirty-five minutes left before they would be under.
"Uh…" Hermione said, staring back at her comrades, "I think we should first make sure we have no injuries, and then get our bearings. We don't have much time, this is true, but we also can't just go rushing about like chickens with our heads cut off, right?"
"Right," replied the group.
They shivered slightly in the cold. Zelos and Tak huddled close together, arms around each other. Genis was trying in vain to cast Fireball on a stick to create heat, but his mana was depleted. Colette was wringing out her shirt, trying to get as much of the water off as possible. Presea dried her ax on her dress, while Gaz made sure her GameSlave 4 was indeed safe and dry. Dib looked thoughtfully around the building, trying to find an escape route.
"Do they have any ventilation? That might be an option," he said.
"I don't fancy that idea," said Tak, "Even if we do find one, if we get stuck when the water comes in, it'll be all over."
"An elevator, then?" asked Dib, "Or rather, an elevator shaft?"
"I don't think they'd work right now," Hermione replied, "And how would we climb the elevator shaft?"
"There must be a second staircase, then," said Dib.
"Or maybe a fire escape?" suggested Presea, but her words fell on deaf ears (except for Gaz, who nodded).
"I think we should search for a new set of stairs," said Dib, "And quickly, we've only got about half an hour…"
The ship shuddered again, and the doors around them opened a little bit. The lockers rattled as various things fell around inside, and they felt the need to move quickly. This they did, and the first room they entered was the Cooking room, where much of the stuff was on the ground.
"No good," said Dib, leading the way with Hermione as they ran down the hall.
Below and above them, they could hear the yells of their fellow students. Dib guessed there were more inside the building than originally thought, and he wondered if there would be enough lifeboats for them. After unsuccessfully trying sixteen more classrooms, they found another staircase, though the floor was so far tilted by now that it was almost impossible to climb.
"Fifteen minutes, roughly," said Genis, nervously, "We're going to have to try the stairs."
"I guess so… they should lead right to the top," said Dib, "Okay, ladies first. And…"
The ship lurched so badly that most of the group was thrown to the ground. Water sloshed just below the floor level, and Hermione screamed.
"Now or never," said Dib, "We need the girls to go first."
"I'm not going without him!" Tak screamed, clutching herself to Zelos. He nodded and wrapped his arms around her as well.
"Colette, do you need help climbing?" asked Dib.
"No, I should be okay," said Colette nervously. She glanced at the water that was almost pouring over the side of the stairwell. The deck was tilting more by the minute, "Hermione, you go first."
"Alright," said Hermione in a small voice.
She grabbed hold of the banister and began to pull herself up the steep stairs. Colette went next, followed closely by Genis. Tak and Zelos went after him, and then Presea, Gaz, and, finally, Dib. They climbed for about six minutes and were almost to the next landing when the ship suddenly listed towards the starboard, and knocked Gaz, Dib, Presea, Tak, and Zelos right off the side of the banister, down into the water, which had washed into the fourth floor.
"Oh my God!" Hermione wailed from the banister.
"Keep going, there's nothing we can do now," Genis, who had barely held on.
"We can't just leave them!" screamed Colette.
"We have to. We'll get to the Boat Deck, find a lifeboat, and then use it to search for them. They've got Presea with them, they'll be fine."
"I hope so…" said Colette, as the three resumed climbing to the Boat Deck.
Meanwhile…
When the first set of stairs collapsed, Harry, Ginny, Iggins, Girtrude, Neville, Luna, Lloyd, Sheena, and Ron had been thrown an entire story to the ground. Many were banged up, bruised, and cut. Sheena quickly repaired as many wounds as she could before the ship sank a little further. The water cascaded over the landing, sweeping the group down the hall a little ways, before it inclined enough to get them out of the water.
"Is everyone alright?" Harry asked.
"Alright?" screamed Iggins, "NO! WE'RE GONNA DIE!"
"Shut up," Ron hissed, "Panicking does no good."
"Ron's right. We need to find an alternate way to get upstairs," said Ginny, "Anyone have any ideas?"
"There was an emergency staircase near the elevators," said Neville as the water ran over their toes, "Let's check that."
"Okay, we'll have to hurry, though," said Harry as the water poured down the hallway. They ran towards the elevator, as the floor tilted more. As they took the corner, they saw the water was rushing down from the other end as well.
"Great, just peachy," said Lloyd, "What do we do now?"
"There's the elevator," said Harry, running ahead and throwing the doors open. However, since the money had run out, the elevator itself hadn't been installed, and it was merely an open shaft. The water was gurgling up from inside there was well, and the water on the floor began to pour into it.
"What do we do now?" asked Sheena, "We can't possibly all climb up this thing."
"We're doomed!" wailed Iggins, "DOOMED TO SUFFER FOR ETERNITY!"
"Wait a minute!" Harry and Ginny said at the same time, "Luna, your rocket packet!"
"Oh yeah…" said Luna, pressing the button which shot her three feet into the air, "I forgot to give it back to the CIA. Oh well. They've got like a billion of them anyway."
"No, Luna, you'll have to ferry us up, one-by-one," said Harry.
"Say por favor," said Girtrude, looking at a wall.
"I think she's finally lost it," Ron whispered to Harry.
"You mean she hadn't before?" he whispered back.
"Yo voy a hora!" Girtrude said, and then ran down the hallway.
"Girtrude, wait!" called Neville.
"Let her go," said Lloyd, "She seems to have a knack for surviving things like this."
"So we should follow her?" Neville suggested.
"Oh hell no," said Lloyd.
"Come on, we don't have much time," said Harry as the water rose to mid-calf.
Zim
"Where is that blasted robot?" muttered Zim, piling another bookshelf on top of the ones he already had.
The water was rising steadily as the Library sank. He was already about six feet from the roof, and the water was only eight feet below him. Plus, the bookcases had run out. He was stuck. Then, something happened that made everything a little bit worse. The water had made it to the windows, and they shattered, sending a fresh deluge into the Library, and causing Zim to scream and recoil. The water rose even quicker, and the Library tipped.
"Noooo!" Zim cried, as the bookshelves threw him off and towards the water.
Just before he impacted, Girtrude plummeted through the roof and caught his master. Zim looked up, and only two inches of his legs touched the water. Zim screamed in pain and yelled at Girtrude to take them to the roof. Mis-understanding, Girtrude only took him to the Library roof, and then shot his rockets into the sky.
"Why did you do that?" screamed Zim.
"Fireworks!" cried Girtrude while his rockets exploded in mid-air.
"We're doomed," wailed Zim as a shadow came over the Library. Zim turned, screamed, and a bunch of water rushed over the only exposed part of the Library left.
Harry, Ginny, Iggins, Neville, Luna, Lloyd, Sheena, and Ron
"Well, that's the last person," said Luna, as she landed on the fourth floor with Neville. He was soaked, the water having come up to his chin on the third floor before Luna was able to free him.
"Next floor, then," said Harry, "We should have time."
"Oh… shoot…" said Luna, "I forgot to re-fill in Riyadh. I'm out of fuel."
"Perfect. Well, of course, we can't ever have a plan go one hundred percent correctly," Ron snarled.
"Let's go this way," said Harry, "I think there might be another staircase this way."
"How much time do we have left?" asked Sheena.
"I'd say about twenty or so minutes," said Ginny, "It took an awful long time to fly up the elevator."
"Well, if Lloyd hadn't had a fit about his project…" Ron muttered darkly.
"Hey! I thought I saw it floating in the water down there! Give me a break, I'm sure Harry didn't want a zero either!" Lloyd retorted.
"Actually," said Harry angrily, "I'd prefer to keep my life over a stupid little grade."
Lloyd was silent, and they spent five minutes trying to find a proper corridor. It was getting hard to walk straight now, with the deck tilting. Finally, they thought they heard people running up some stairs, so they took a quick left and were immediately taken off their feet by the water roaring down the hallway, which also carried Gaz, Presea, Zelos, Tak, and Dib. They all got swept further down the other hallway, finally coming to rest at a door.
"Get up! Move!" Harry screamed to the people.
Everyone got up as quickly as they could and tried to get away from the incoming water. As they passed one of the large windows, they could see the school had tilted so bad that the water level was only about twenty feet away, barely a floor and a half below them. They continued to run, the water always ankle-deep now, and finally found another staircase, one that led directly to the roof.
"Everyone, up!" Harry yelled, helping Sheena, Luna, Tak, Zelos, and Ginny up the ladder first. As Neville was begging to climb, three doors on their left burst open and many thousands of gallons of water spilled down the hallway. Everyone who wasn't on the ladder, or, in Harry's case, holding on to it, was swept away. Neville, caught by surprise, also was taken by the flow.
"Ron! Neville!" Harry cried, watching his two friends fly around the corner with two others.
"It's no good, Harry!" sobbed Tak, "We've got to get to the roof!"
"He's my best mate!" Harry called, "In a totally non-romantic way!"
"HARRY, I KNOW!" Ginny screamed, "HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL? HE'S MY BROTHER! BUT THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO! LET'S GO!"
"Alright…" Harry said, furious with himself. He managed to pull himself up the ladder as the water rose higher and higher, and the school tilted even further.
Lloyd, Ron, Neville, Dib, Iggins
"Stay above the water!" Lloyd called to the other four as the boys were thrown, tossed, and shoved along the corridor.
"No, really? I thought it'd be more fun to try and breathe underwater!" Ron roared.
"Not now, guys!" Neville said, struggling to swim, "We've got to get out of here!"
As though his prayer was answered, the water abruptly stopped, sending them forward a few feet on dry floor. Another incline in the hallway, complements of improperly installed floors. The five rushed forward to the nearest classroom door, and slammed it shut, blocking it with desks.
"We should be safe for now," said Ron, sitting down and catching his breath.
"This must be one of the English rooms," said Neville, taking in all the Shakespeare posters.
"How long will that door hold?" asked Iggins, twitching.
"Not very," said Dib, "We've got to find another escape route."
"There is none, except the window," said Ron.
The school shook and inclined even more, sending everything that wasn't bolted down straight forward. Many of the desks crashed into the heater and wall in the back, though six or seven shot right out the window and fell the fifteen or so feet to the water below. The guys looked at each other, barely able to stand straight on the floor.
"We have to jump!" Iggins wailed.
"No!" said Dib, ignoring the water seeping in from under the door, "Hold out just a bit longer…"
"I can't! It's… INSANITY!" Iggins wailed, and then threw himself out the window, shattering the rest of the glass. The other four watched in horror as he fell to the sea below and went under. They didn't see him resurface.
Kratos, Genis, Hermione, Colette
"Are you alright?" Kratos asked Hermione, Genis, and Colette as they climbed the last bit of the long, bent rail to the deck.
"No! Of course not!" Hermione wailed, "We just watched half of our friends get swept into the school, and they're probably dead!"
"Take it easy, I'm sure they're fine," said Genis, "Kratos, are there any lifeboats?"
"We have plenty," said Kratos, "I've already started loading the first few. They can sit about thirteen people each, so we should be fine."
"Did everyone come over from the cafeteria?" asked Genis.
"Yes, actually," Kratos said, fairly, "We've already launched three lifeboats, and there's many more…"
Suddenly, there was a loud crash and twenty of the lifeboats suddenly toppled into the water and sank. The students around them looked nervous and pointed to each other, trying to shift the blame.
"… unless that happens," said Kratos, sighing, "Well, we've only got five now. Alright! Women and children first!"
"But we're all children!" someone called.
"Girls first, then!" Kratos amended, "Boys stay back or I'll cast Grave on you all!"
"You two need to go, now!" Genis hissed.
"No! Not without Harry and Ron and Neville and—" Hermione began to argue.
"Or everyone else!" Colette said, "I refuse to sit in a boat until I'm sure the others will be saved."
"Listen to me," said Genis, "There are four boats left, basically. Number five just filled up. Go get in line, now! I'll stay behind and make sure the others make it…"
"NO!" Hermione screamed, "Not happening, I'm waiting for… HARRY!"
A part of the roof had opened up and Harry's group climbed out. Ginny and Harry were both looking back down to see if there was any possibility the others were coming, Luna and Sheena were assessing their whereabouts, and watching the other lifeboats sink.
"Hermione?" Harry asked, straightening up, "Thank God you're alive! Where're the others?"
"Genis and Colette are with me, but the others got swept away!" Hermione sobbed, collapsing into Harry's arms.
"Ron and Neville did, too," said Ginny, patting Hermione on the back, "We need to get you into a lifeboat."
"And you as well," said Harry, looking at Ginny.
"You'll play hell getting me away from you," Ginny said, meeting his gaze steadily.
"Presea? Is that you?" asked Luna, looking past the other Hogwarts students.
"Yes," said Presea, "What took you so long?"
"How did you guys get up here?" asked Genis.
"The fire escape, DUH! Presea told you downstairs," said Gaz angrily.
"Oh. Well, let's go, we have to get in a lifeboat," said Harry.
The deck was sloping even more, and the list was very pronounced at this point. The next boats were at an angle. Suddenly, someone screamed and pointed to the side, where a hand was just pulling themselves over the railing.
"Iggins!" cried Harry, rushing forward to help. Iggins, however, pushed Harry back, and jumped on to the ship.
"I NEED A BOAT!" he screamed, and leapt into an empty boat, cutting the ropes. He fell about twenty feet to the water and began to row away furiously.
"That was dumb…" said Harry, "He was already in the water."
"Oh my God!" wailed another student, "Only three boats left!"
"Get in!" Kratos cried, "Girls only! I mean it! Fine, then, GRAVE!"
Six panicked boys were hit by the spell and knocked into the water. The girls screamed and dove into boats, filling up the first of the three remaining ones. There were still dozens of students left on the roof, and still more came up from within the school, dripping. Inside, there was a crash as everything shot towards the sinking end, and the lights suddenly dimmed and went out. Loud crashes and windows shattering became the norm for the next few minutes.
"Here," Harry said, as he and Hermione lit up the area for everyone so they could see their way to the boats, "We've got to get you all on to a boat!"
"Harry…" Hermione said, in a quiet voice.
"Now, Hermione!" Harry snarled at her.
Hermione nodded, "Fine, but I want to wait for the last one."
"… deal," said Harry, as they moved over to wait.
"Tak, you're going to have to go," said Zelos.
"No. Not without you," hissed Tak.
"You have to, there'll be no room for men like me," said Zelos.
"But… I don't want to," said Tak, eyes tearing up.
"I know, hunnie, but you must! For the sake of our love," Zelos said, kissing her.
"Come on, Colette, let's go play pirates!" said Luna.
"Huh? What?" asked Colette, her thoughts brought back to the Earth.
"In the little boat! Let's play pirates!" said Luna, stepping in to the second boat.
"Speaking of pirates," said Genis, pointing to the chimney of the school.
Ms. Bitters stood on the top of it, dressed in the admiral get-up again. She was staring straight ahead, ignoring the sinking school below her. In her hand was a steering wheel, which was attached to nothing. Below her, Girtrude sat on a few broken bricks, singing "Come Josephine in my Flying Machine."
"Well… that's pretty spiffy," said Luna, "Genis, are you coming?"
"I can't," said Genis, "I'm a guy, I can't go."
"Oh… okay, well, see you later then!" Luna said, waving as eleven other girls quickly loaded into the boat. It was lowered from sight.
"This is the last one!" Kratos shouted over the din, "We will load girls first, and boys will get seats if there is enough room!"
"Go, now," Harry said, pushing Ginny and Hermione forward.
"No!" Ginny screamed, clinging to Harry, "I'll never let go!"
"Ginny, stop being cliché and get in the damn boat!" Harry hissed at her, "You'll never survive if you don't!"
"But… Harry…" Ginny said, tearing up.
Harry leaned in and kissed her. She was a little surprised, but she kissed back, wrapping her hands around his head. Girtrude paused in her song and sobbed and complained at how beautiful it was as the school shuddered and sank lower. The boat began to fill, rather slowly, as girls said good-bye to their boyfriends and climbed in. Hermione, Sheena, Presea, Gaz, and, finally, Ginny stepped into the boat and took seats.
"We have room for a few more! Anyone else?" Kratos asked the crowd.
It was almost completely guys that looked back at him. Only about six girls remained on the roof, faithfully clinging to their significant others. Genis moved forward tentatively, and Kratos nodded. He took a seat next to Sheena. Tak stepped forward next, but drug Zelos with her.
"I'll go if he can go," said Tak, barely keeping her footing on the deck.
"Besides, you need a man to take control of this boat," said Zelos.
"Alright then, get in, both of you. Anyone else?" queried Kratos. Two more boys jumped in, and then he gave the order to lower away.
Ginny looked up, her wet, red hair hanging down to her shoulders. She saw Harry, just standing there, waving sadly at her. She watched as her head became level with the roof, and then she made her decision. She stood up and threw herself back to the ledge, clinging to it barely. Hermione screamed and tried to grab her, but Ginny pulled herself up to the rooftop and was met by Harry's embrace.
"You're so stubborn!" he cried.
"But am I wrong?" Ginny asked, playfully.
"Yes!" Harry screamed, "But I'm… still glad you're here!"
Presea also suddenly jumped out of the boat and pulled herself onto the ledge. Below them, Gaz sighed and followed her friend back to the roof. Hermione gave up trying to call them back into the boat, and just sat down and stared straight ahead. It sank to the water, detached, and floated away.
"Why did you all do that?" asked Ginny.
"It's more fun up here," said Gaz.
"Sitting in that boat dropped my IQ 10.3 points," said Presea, "But it's back now."
"Well…" said Harry as the ship continued to go, "We need to go to the far end of the building. If we can stay up long enough, perhaps we can survive."
"Let's go," said Ginny, as most of the students panicked and ran to the higher end of the school. The water was already reaching the bow end and washing over it. The ship groaned and creaked as the magical light Harry and Hermione had conjured went out.
Neville, Lloyd, Dib, Ron
"We don't have much time," said Neville as the school sank lower.
The lights had finally gone out, and the four boys were bathed in almost complete darkness, except for an eerie light Ron conjured. Neville had repaired the window, and the door was holding up surprisingly well. The water almost reached the window, and the tilt was getting impossible to stand on.
"I wonder how much time we have left…" Ron muttered, staring at the door.
"Until the door gives out, I think," Dib said, checking it, "I'd say about three minutes."
"What do you guys think death will be like?" Lloyd asked, sitting in a corner.
"I think lots of dead people will be there," said Neville.
"… you never cease to amaze me," said Ron.
"I think it'll be a wonderful place," Dib said dreamily, "One where everyone accepts you, no matter who you are and what your beliefs are. And maybe… she'll be there…"
"Who? Co—" Lloyd began.
The ship shook even more violently than before. There came a loud ripping noise, the sound of metal being wrenched apart. Shrieks and yells came from above, followed by the sound of footsteps. The school started to go horizontal again, but the noise got even louder, especially outside, and it sounded like most of it had broken off entirely. The room suddenly began to sink faster, and the water went up to the window and then above it.
"Oh no!" cried Dib, just as the water began to push on the door.
"Brace yourselves, lads," said Neville.
"Here it comes…" Lloyd muttered.
The door gave out and all the water from the hallway began to pour in at an alarming rate. All of the boys were swept off their feet and flung around the room, which also picked up chairs, desks, books, and anything else in its path. The room filled up rather quickly, and Dib found himself being carried by the current, right out of the room. His last glance, before the water swept him away, was Neville clinging to a bookcase, Ron furiously trying to break the window, and Lloyd half-drowning. Then he was swept right out of the hallway and into the open water as part of the school sank down. The rest of the school loomed above him, and he gasped at the site, beginning to swim away as fast as he could.
The Roof of Building C
"Hurry up!" Harry screamed, leading the group of students more forward than before. Above them, Ms. Bitters and Girtrude repositioned themselves on a new chimney. Now Gir was singing "My Hear Will Go On," but he replaced a few words. For example, he used "spleen" instead of "heart," "pineapple" for "love," and "Topeka" for "you, your, and you're."
"Harry, are we going to be okay?" asked Ginny as the stumbled across the roof.
"I hope so, Ginny," said Harry, "Are the others still following us?"
Ginny glanced back. Gaz and Presea were indeed following them, Gaz playing her GameSlave 4, while Presea carried a boom box gangster-style with Gir's song on it. Ginny glanced back to Harry, and they shared an eye-roll. They could see the far end, which had risen into the air very far by now. A few students already found the railing thing that was used by the mechanics, and were holding on to it. Harry and Ginny also got a spot, while Gaz and Presea contented themselves to leaning on the chimney Ms. Bitters and Girtrude were on. Around them, students found whatever they could to hold on to, as the stern of the school rose higher and higher.
"This seems vaguely familiar," said Ginny, "Though I'm not sure where I've seen it before."
"I don't know either," said Harry, but he was cut off.
The ship made the loud crashing, shattering, wrenching noise, and the front broke off. The back leveled out, dropping many feet and causing screams from many of the students. About two dozen were thrown off the deck, or jumped, leaving a reduced number on the school itself. They clung to the railings as they were level for a few minutes.
"Are we… safe?" asked Presea.
The ship began to sink again, going almost vertical really quickly. Many other students fell off, and Gaz and Presea stood on the chimney, wrapping their electronics in Press-N-Seal. Harry secured himself and Ginny to the other side of the rail, where they waited. The building continued to go, with students swimming away in a panicked state. There was much debris in the immediate area, and Harry searched for one that both he and Ginny could get on.
"There! A table!" he said, "Ginny, when I say jump, we'll have to jump. If this pulls you under, swim up, okay?"
"Right. Here we go…" Ginny said, mentally preparing herself.
"Hold on, everyone!" Harry called, "Try and swim for some flotation debris!"
Below them, the first chimney disappeared. Then the second, including Ms. Bitters, Girtrude, Gaz, and Presea. As the water began to engulf the railing, Harry shouted and both he and Ginny threw themselves into the water. The impact was brutal; the water had to have been almost freezing. It hadn't been nearly that bad in the school. Harry and Ginny were both dragged under for a little while, but then emerged to find many students struggling and fighting in the water. They made a beeline for the table, and Ginny climbed on top of it. Harry floated in the water next to her.
"It's too small, Harry," muttered Ginny, "You can't fit."
"It's alright," said Harry, "I'll… just float here…"
They hung there for another fifteen minutes. Around them, the cries and wails and splashing of their fellow students slowly died away, and soon it was only Harry and Ginny. They muttered to each other, trying to keep one another awake. Harry felt his body freezing as he floated in the water. Ginny brushed his hair out of her eyes, and he did the same to her. As he felt himself lose consciousness, he kissed Ginny's hand and put his head down in her arms, as she muttered, "… hold on, Harry…"
Dib
Dib struggled to the top of the water, gasping for air. He took in eight huge lungfuls, coughing up a lot of seawater. He floated there, treading water. Who was he? Dib Membrane, Paranormal Investigator. Where was he? Above the sinking wreckage of the Whitestone. Who was going to rescue him? Unsure.
"Well…" he muttered, climbing on to a floating board, "At least I know I'll be dry."
"Dib monkey!" came a call.
"Zim?" Dib asked, looking around. He heard something coming through the water behind him, and he turned. He gasped when he saw Building A cutting through the sea towards him. The building, which also housed the cafeteria, had a large section 5 stories high, as well as a smaller section only three high. Zim stood on the smaller section, looking at Dib contemptuously.
"Zim! Hey! Wait! I need help!" Dib called.
"I know, human sewage," said Zim, "I've come to rescue you."
"Actually," Raine's voice called from the megaphone, "We all have. Regal will come get you in the boat, are there any other survivors around you?"
"Not here, but the ship sank a few hundred more feet in!" Dib called back, "Have you picked up any lifeboats yet?"
"No!" called Raine, "But Kratos assured us that around eight were launched!"
"Right," said Dib, as Regal rowed over to him to fetch him.
"Are you alright?" asked the blue-haired man.
"Considering my circumstances, yes," said Dib, "But overall, not really."
"I see. Well, up you go…" he picked Dib up and into the boat, wrapping him in a blanket, "We've got Snape and Trelawney in the other two lifeboats, they're out searching over there."
"Right…" Dib said, falling into a fitful sleep.
Harry…
It was quiet. And dark. Harry could feel his body going very numb. And yet… it was comfortable. As he floated in the water, he could no longer feel Ginny's hand in his. His eyes wouldn't open, either. This must be the end… thought Harry, I'm dead. I died. And Ginny… I hope she made it…
"Ginny…" Harry muttered, "Don't give up… don't die…"
"Honestly, Potter," spat a voice that cast instant doom into Harry's world, "Stop being so dramatic and get in the boat. And fifty points from Fence for not paying attention to your surroundings."
Harry forced his eyes open. Snape sat in front of him, floating in a lifeboat. Inside were a number of students, including Ginny, Gaz, Presea, and Neville. All four were shivering and wrapped in blankets. Harry's heart leaped, and he climbed into the boat, where a magical towel wrapped itself around him.
"Harry, we thought you were dead," sobbed Ginny, hugging him.
"I'm okay. Neville, where's Ron?" asked Harry, concerned.
"I don't know," said Neville, looking stricken, "The last thing I remember was the water pouring into the classroom, me clinging to a bookshelf, Dib getting swept away, and then it sorta goes black."
"So Ron's… dead?" Harry asked, biting his lip.
"We don't know that, Harry," said Ginny bracingly, "There might still be a chance…"
"If you are all done whining now," said Snape, "We can continue our search for survivors."
Lifeboat C-6…
"Hermione, do you see that?" asked Genis, standing up in the boat.
"Sit down!" Hermione snarled, "You'll tip us."
"Look! Over there! It's… … another… school building…?" Genis said, confused.
"By God, it is!" said Zelos, "Hey! We're over here! Come rescue me! And Tak!"
"And the rest of us!" called Hermione.
"They'll never see us like this," Tak said, "FIREBALL!"
She pointed her hands to the air and started to send out fireballs to show their position. Genis and Zelos followed suit. Around them, the other lifeboats began to do so as well, although they could see Colette's boat giving off Angel Feathers every few seconds. The building changed its course and came quickly to Lifeboat 3. A rope ladder came down, attached by Zim and Raine.
"Climb up, everyone!" Raine called, "We'll get everyone we can."
Genis climbed up first, followed by Hermione, Tak, and a few other girls. After embracing his sister for about ten seconds, Genis turned his attention to helping the girls reach the top. Likewise, Zelos was helping the girls begin their ascent up the rope ladder. It took about ten minutes to get everyone off the boat.
"Let's go, everyone," said Raine, "We've got a lot of work to do, and not much time to do it."
"Oh Harry… Ron…" muttered Hermione.
"Lloyd, Colette, please be safe…" said Genis.
"Girtrude! If you died, I'll kill you!" Zim screamed over the water.
"I'm okay! And so is Sanchez!" came the return call.
Rescue Boat Slytherin-Alpha…
"I can't believe we're alive," said Harry as the boat continued to sail through the debris field, "Or, rather, I can't believe everyone's alive. I thought you all started dying!"
"No, we just went to sleep. It got boring, all that struggling in the water," replied one saved boy.
"Oh… but wasn't it cold?" asked Harry.
"Well, duh, the water was like sixty degrees…" said another boy, "But at least we're safe now."
"Don't count on that…" Harry muttered, glaring at Snape as he lazily steered the oversized boat through the water, "And what about Ron?"
"Professors Bryan and Trelawney have their own lifeboats, Potter," said Snape, "And Professor Sage has Building A. If he's out there, we'll find him."
"Right…" muttered Harry as the sun peaked over the sea.
Rescue Ship Building A
By seven-thirty, it was assumed that all survivors had been found, and all boats were to return to Building A immediately. The only lifeboat unaccounted for was Professor Trelawney's, but no one was really concerned about that one. Meanwhile, Professor Bryan returned with not only Dib, but Lloyd, Girtrude, Sanchez, and about a dozen other students. Professor Snape had saved twenty-four by himself. Raine had picked up the other lifeboats, and was just getting Colette's when Snape's boat arrived.
"Colette! You're alive!" Genis cried, running to embrace her.
"Yep," Colette said, though only half-heartedly, "Luna's not with us, though. She jumped out of the lifeboat about two hours ago and swam away. We tried to call her back, but…"
"She probably went to the CIA to get help," Genis assured her, "Come on, let's get you some warm clothes and food."
"I like food," said Colette, walking with him.
"Harry! Oh, thank God!" cried Hermione, flinging herself into his arms as he stepped aboard. He was nearly thrown back off the ship.
"Hermione, I'm alive. So are Ginny and Neville," said Harry.
"What about Ron and Luna?" asked Hermione, worried.
"Luna got in a lifeboat on the ship," Harry said, "But Ron… we don't know where he is."
"Oh no…" said Hermione softly, "Please don't let him be dead."
"Maybe he's in that one," said Ginny desperately, looking at Regal's lifeboat.
Sadly, he wasn't. Dib, Lloyd, and Girtrude and Sanchez quickly boarded and were herded to get food. Regal pulled the boats back to the building by himself and went to get a total from Raine. After checking and double-checking all the students on board, it was decided that fifty-seven people were accounted for, but eighteen were still missing, Ron, Luna, and Iggins among them. While no one cared much for Iggins, the other two were missed, especially by the Hogwarts crew.
For two hours they stood out in the cold air, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny. They stared off the bow, hoping to be able to see the faint dot of a lifeboat. Raine, Colette, and Dib had tried to comfort them, give them food, and take them inside. All efforts were refused, and, eventually, they gave up. Then, at about nine, they saw something.
"Professor Raine!" screamed Hermione, "Hard-a-starboard! I see something!"
"Aye, I see it as well," said Raine, "I'm heading for it now."
They pulled closer, and they could tell that it was definitely a lifeboat. Who was aboard was a mystery. They were disappointed to see that it was only Iggins, who climbed safely aboard.
"I'M SAFE!" he wailed, and then collapsed. He was taken roughly to a medical center to await treatment.
"He must be dead… they all must be…" muttered Hermione, tears in her eyes.
"Do you hear something?" asked Neville suddenly.
"Yeah… I do," said Ginny, "It sounds like a Concorde again."
"No! It's that thing!" Harry said pointing, "It's a… flying lifeboat?"
"Luna," everyone said at once.
Sure enough, they could see Luna when the lifeboat got closer. She was sitting with Professor Trelawney, Ms. Bitters, and, to everyone's delight, Ron. They cleared the way for the landing, which was very rough and abrupt. They crashed onto one end of the deck, skidded across, and shot right off the other side and into the water. Ms. Bitters jumped out a split second before it plummeted to the water and landed gracefully on her feet. Then she sort-of flew away into the room.
"Ron!" Harry screamed, leading them forward.
Below, they could see Ron sitting in the front of the boat, looking half-terrified, half-insane. Behind him, Professor Trelawney and Luna were singing sailor songs, as well as "My Spleen Will Go On." Ron glared up at everyone else, his hair all over his face.
"If I have to hear them sing one more time," he shouted, "I'm going to go bonkers!"
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione wailed, and then fainted. With sighs and shrugs, everyone helped get the three out of the lifeboat and into the Hospital, where they all got medical treatment and some Ramen.
Three hours later, the groups sat in a classroom that Ms. Bitters had commandeered for the day. She was still wearing the admiral uniform, and was sitting behind her desk as Presea and Iggins stood at the front of the room, delivering their Health Project. Around the room, everyone sat in their normal seats, various emotions playing across their faces. The only group to have gone before Presea and Iggins was Sheena and Zelos' group, and their report on Severe Syphilis was well-received, especially when she used Zelos as a reference and future test subject.
"So, in conclusion," Presea said, "Iggins, from his trip in the cold, wet boat, is now showing the most typical signs of The Grippe. For more information, see Influenza. Thank you."
The class clapped. Presea bowed taciturnly. Iggins shivered on the floor, his face pale. Ms. Bitters stood up and walked behind the group.
"Very good, Presea. You get an A," said Ms. Bitters, "Iggins, you get a D. FOR DISEASED! Get to the containment ward before you infect us all with your D!"
The Master Computer sent Iggins from the room right down a tube and into the Hospital Containment Ward. The next group to go was Hermione and Genis, and they were both furious when they got C's since they only had research and no visual aids on Irritable Type I Myalgia. Colette and Neville's project went over rather well, both got a B on the smallpox paper, though Neville had to rush out of class and retch a few times. Then came Lloyd and Harry.
"Oh no!" Lloyd moaned, "Harry, what do we do?"
"Tell them the truth," muttered Harry, "We'll say it was lost."
"Alright," said Lloyd, standing up, "Well, we had Black Insomnia, the Infectious Subtype. We did out project last night, but we ended up losing it when Building C sank. Um… do we get credit?"
"No!" Ms. Bitters shouted, "Sit down!"
"But—" Lloyd began.
"Containment Center, now!" cried Ms. Bitters.
Lloyd was the next to be sucked into the floor and spat out in the Hospital Ward. Harry sat down very quickly after that. Next to go was the duo of Ginny and Luna. They did very well with Beriberi, and both received A minuses. The girls sat down, looking very satisfied. Tak and Zim went next, and their demonstration on Kawasaki's Sporidiosis worked out very well, especially since Zim had finally claimed it as his disease. Tak even gained extra credit for herself by showing how people with the disease suffer from water being poured on them. She got an A, but Zim ended with a B+ since he was weak.
"Next up… Girtrude and Ron! And be quick!" Ms. Bitters commanded.
"We had Hematological Bovine Pox," said Ron, "Um… we lost most of our project in the sinking, but Girtrude will tell you all she knows about it."
"Symptoms include sore throat, hemorrhaging, and uncontrollable lusting! You've got five seconds to live!" Girtrude squealed, and then immediately bowled Ron over in a hug.
"That was horrible," said Ms. Bitters, "You both get an E!"
"Mo phier!" came Ron's muffled voice from behind Girtrude.
"Finally… Gaz and Dib," said Ms. Bitters.
The two siblings went to the front of the room. Dib opened the paper and began to read, but he was cut off by Gaz. She told him to be quiet and let her take it.
"Acquired Athlete's Salmonella," she said, "is a terrible disease. Jocks and cheerleaders get it often, and common symptoms include much pain, suffering, and doom. There is no treatment, and it has a high mortality rate. Now go away."
"Excellent, Gaz," said Ms. Bitters, "You get an A, too."
"But… that wasn't in the report…" said Dib.
"Silence, Dib! You get a D! Because your name is Dib!" Ms. Bitters hissed.
"I kind of like being on a boat school," said Ginny, looking out the window, "It's a bit relaxing."
"Until this one sinks, too," said Harry, his arm around hers.
The school shuddered a few times, and, suddenly the water level outside began to drop rapidly. It went away in about ten seconds, and they found Building A reattaching itself to its foundation. Buildings B, D, and E were also unharmed, but Building C and the gymnasium were missing. The students filed out onto the rather muddy and destroyed grounds.
"WE'RE SAFE!" wailed Iggins, "PRAISE THE LORD!"
"Well, now that we've got dry land under us," said Gaz, "We all know what time it is, right?"
"CRUSIFIXION!" screamed everyone, charging at Iggins.
"Nooooo!" he screamed, rushing off towards the setting sun, while the angry mob chased him with pitchforks and torches and various other pain objects.
From the Author's Mind: (June 2011)
Wow. That was the closest thing to a serious chapter I've ever written. And it was very long. Well, gotta break those habits. (SPOILER: I don't). Um… some disclaimers… Titanic references, obviously, and many of the diseases mentioned above (the ones with more than one word) came from the random disease generator. Anyway… preview for Chapter 8 which is kind of pointless since it's already been published!
When the budget finally does run out and Whitestone is threatened with closure, the military steps in with funding, dozens of new students, and a few Nazis. Being suppressed certainly isn't the style of Iko Iko, and the students plan a revolt which might end in their lifetime imprisonment. Meanwhile, Luna and Zim go on a mission of their own, one that might make Zim look better in the eyes of The Tallest. But this mission is dangerous, and they risk exposure, school-wide destruction, and Luna's dismissal from the C.I.A.
