Virgil POV

I was on the ship, clearing the lower levels. I only had two more levels to clear before I would have to swim down to the engine rooms and employee quarters. The ship was sinking faster with every second. There hadn't been any explosions since we arrived a few minutes ago, but we were not going to take that chance. We kept out guard up. Gordon was in his submarine, checking around the ship to see if he could find anymore explosives.

"I couldn't find anything. If there are anymore, they are well concealed and it's anybody's guess where they are. Virg, I'm coming down to meet you. I'm gonna see if I can find any from the inside." I heard Gordon say from radio inside of my helmet.

I heard a chorus of "FAB."

Only about thirty seconds later did Gordon appear at my side.

"That was fast." I said.

"I ran. I'll check the next level, you finish up here."

We tapped wrists, a silent way of communication.

Gordon headed down the stairs at the end of the hall while I walked down to check the rooms. I was on my way back to the stairs when the ship shook and water started pouring in from the end of the hall opposite the stairs.

"Gordon. Gordon, can you hear me?" I radioed.

"Virgil, what just happened?" I heard my dad.

"There was another explosion on the level Gordon was on, I'm going down to check it out."

By the time I got to the stairs, I had to dive down. I turned on the lights on my helmet. What I saw was a mess. Desks and chairs and bed frames and nightstands and suitcases and clothes floated around me in the debris. I looked over and saw a flash of yellow piping on a white jumpsuit underneath an overturned desk. I swam over to move it, finding Gordon with a cracked helmet lying underneath.

I dragged him up to the floor above which was already filling with water going past my waist. I took off his helmet and tried to rouse him from his unconscious state. "Gordon, c'mon bro, you gotta wake up."

Slowly, he started to open his eyes, looking around for a moment before speaking. "Did I miss the end of the movie?"

"He's okay." I radioed in. "C'mon, we gotta get you back up—"

"Did you find Nat?" He asked.

I froze. My heart fell. "What do you mean?"

"I saw her. Just before the explosion."

"Get back up to the 'birds, help the rest of the people get off the ship. Go!" I pushed him towards the stairs, and dove back under the second he was out of sight.

It had been just about a minute and a half when I was back down to the debris covered floor. I knew from Gordon that after three minutes of not breathing, people started to die. In cold water, people can last longer, but I did not want to take that chance. I assumed the worst and started to frantically search for Natalie.

I kept track of time on my watch, but ever second that passed felt like an hour. I shoved everything out of the way and looked in every room, hoping that Natalie was far enough from the explosion that she could still be alive.

Seventy six seconds passed before I saw a flash of hair. It was short and blonde and from what I could tell, the person it belonged to looked male. I turned the person over and regretted it the second I did. His face was gone. The entire front side of him was just, gone.

I turned him back over, saying a silent prayer for him.

I looked around and it seemed as though everything was still. It was like someone put a movie on pause for just a moment before I saw a suitcase start floating towards me. A small nightstand followed and I swam over, pushing away everything was in the direction of movement.

I saw a hand first. I grabbed on, pulling the person closer. I didn't stop to look at the person. I just swam with their hand in mine until I reached a floor where was space to stand.

I pulled the person, a girl, up and held her as she coughed, dispelling water and trying to catch her breath.

I knew it was Natalie. It couldn't be anyone but Natalie. It had to be her. I couldn't allow myself accept that though until she moved her hair away from her face and I got the chance to look her in the eyes.

I raised the visor on my helmet and reached a hand out to push her hair back. "Natalie."

"I knew you'd come, Virg."

She was still having trouble breathing. Her chest was heaving and she had her arm wrapped around my shoulder for support. Greeting would have to wait. I had my job to do first. Besides, it didn't look like she knew really what to say at the moment.

We were three floors up from where I found her and Gordon and water was rising faster. At some point, I felt the ship start to tilt and I heard Scott in my ear.

"Virg, you need to get out of there now. Grab a life vest and jump when you get to the first deck."

"Then swim like hell." Gordon chimed in.

"I've got Natalie." I said. "I'll go as fast as I—"

"Please! Someone help!"

"Hello? Where are you?"

"I'm down here!"

"I've got someone else on board. It sounds like a male." I radioed in. I looked over to Natalie.

"I'm not leaving without you." She said.

We didn't have time to argue so I grabbed her hand as we started to run down the slanted hall towards the sound of the mans' voice.

"Sir, are you okay?"

We ended up in front of a gift shop, a place that I had checked on my way down to the lower levels. I had checked behind every door and no one was there. I wondered how someone could have ended up back down there.