They landed on the ship with a jarring thunk and until people started moving, Quinn was convinced they'd crashed. Children were woken up, leaning buddies were shaken from their resting perches, and then the back hatch started to lower.

"You have arrived," Luz called out from the front.

Rachel let go of Quinn and stood up, and Quinn watched her look around, squinting as light spilled in. The smell of the sea and the chill of the air hit all of them at once and excitement grabbed hold of everyone. Nervous chatter turned boisterous, people were smiling, clapping each other on the shoulder, hugging. They thought they'd made it.

Lurching up to her feet, Quinn grinned back at Chevy and followed Rachel down the ramp out into the open air.

"It's beautiful," Rachel said when Quinn stopped next to her.

Stretching out before the bow of the ship and beyond was endless blue, and as the wind kicked up and tossed Quinn's hair across her face she couldn't bring herself to care.

It felt like freedom.

Then she looked around, attempting to stay objective about where they had landed. The Sea Stallion was resting on an honest to God heli-pad, and when she leaned carefully over to see the decks below glossy wood winked back up at her. She'd been expecting a fishing ship, a trawler, something heavily metal and rusted from years at sea. It looked more like a large yacht. She half expected someone to come out to greet them with hot towels and a pitcher of lemonade. Would there be a pool and shuffleboard as well?

"This is..." she trailed off, unable to find the right words to describe her wonderment. It was almost too good to be true.

"First things first," Rachel said once her own shock had worn off. "We need to organize some teams and search every inch of this ship. God knows we don't need anymore surprises."

Quinn barely listened to anything else Rachel said, too amazed at the way that the weighty mantle of leadership fell upon her shoulders the second she spoke. Quinn could barely breathe she was so in awe of the transformation she was getting to witness. Rachel's shoulders pulled back, her chin lifted, and something else - something inside - shifted, and while it wasn't a visible change Quinn could feel the charge in the air.

She did hear Rachel pairing people off to check the ship and took a step closer, very lightly touching Rachel's elbow. "I'll go with you."

Rachel turned to her, eyes hidden behind the large frames of her sunglasses. "You don't want -"

"I'll go with you," Quinn repeated. There was no way now that she was letting Rachel out of her sight.

A small smile twitched briefly at the corner of Rachel's mouth and then it was gone and she was shouting at the others to be heard over the wind.

"Luz, Ollie, you two stay here and keep an eye on things. I don't think we'll be needing an escape but better safe than dead. Alex, Chevy - you two come with Quinn and I. Kevin? Crowd control."

"Only four?" Chevy asked, hands cradling his M4. He narrowed his eyes over at the metal ladder on the other side of the helicopter pad. "You think that's enough?"

"It's smart," Quinn interrupted, before Rachel could get annoyed. "No need to put more people in danger."

Chevy grunted, Alex shrugged, and beside her Quinn heard Rachel huff.

"Let's get moving, I want to meet Captain Bitterman and hopefully thank him for saving our asses." Without another word Rachel left, her battered converse slapping against the ground.

"Your friend is bossy," Chevy said with a smile, taking off after Rachel with Alex right behind him.

Quinn paused for a moment, took in a deep breath of salty sea air, and then spun around to follow the others. The pistol in her hands felt weird, small and light in comparison to her shotgun. She made a mental note to see about replacing it as she slowly walked across to the ladder. The ship was rocking under her feet and she definitely hadn't figured out how to walk with the world tilting just yet; it almost reminded her of being drunk. When she got to the ladder Chevy and Alex were almost halfway down and Rachel was at the bottom, hands on her hips.

The clang of her boots on the steps was shockingly loud, and Quinn froze at the first step and was more cautious with the second but it didn't matter. There would be no stealthy way to get to the bottom and anything on the ship would already know they were there anyway, thanks to the Sea Stallion.

She sighed in relief when her feet hit the deck. No more loud noises. Rachel, Chevy, and Alex were looking out over the back of the ship, all standing shoulder to shoulder. "Guys?"

"It's kind of amazing," Rachel said, turning to look at Quinn over her shoulder. "We've been in the desert for so long and now we're on the ocean. The view is the same - you can still see for miles - but now it's water instead of sand."

"We can appreciate the view later." Quinn jerked her thumb towards the side of the ship. "How about we find a door and start checking this place out?"

"What kind of ship do you think this is?" Alex asked instead of doing as suggested.

"It's like a small cruise ship without the pool and the hot chicks in bikinis," Chevy said.

Quinn opened her mouth to reply but Rachel turned around with a tight smile and dragged both men around with her. "Later. She's right; we can all explore more and reminisce later. Let's get to work. We'll take the upper decks, you two go down."

"It rocks more lower down?" Alex stared down at his feet with a small frown.

"Come on, maybe we can find you some saltines," Chevy said.

Quinn stayed right behind Rachel as she went towards the side of the ship, close enough to be watching over Rachel's shoulder for trouble, pistol ready.

"There are balconies on these rooms," Alex said from behind them. Quinn leaned over the railing to her side and looked down, and sure enough there were rows of small patios.

"Alex it's hard enough to focus without you acting like a tourist." Quinn shot him a quick glare and gestured at the access door ahead of them. "Rachel? After you?"

Rachel smirked briefly and stepped forward to lead the charge. It struck Quinn again just how different Rachel was now. Boldly going first into potential danger instead of Before, where she wanted to lead because she wanted the control or the attention. It was almost like she'd been born for this new world.

By the time Quinn cleared her mind of her thoughts Rachel was already several paces ahead, arms raised and pistol held out before her with steady hands. No matter how this new Rachel 2.0 acted - solid and sure of herself - Quinn needed to keep her near. Maybe it was nothing more than a desire to hold on to the one familiar thing she had, or maybe it was more than that, but she wouldn't get to figure it out if she didn't get her head into the game.

Rachel's movements were smooth and calculated as they crept down the dark carpeted hall together. Chevy and Alex were behind them at first, but broke off once they found a door marked with a picture of stairs. Now it was just them and the dark. Quinn moved up to stand shoulder to shoulder with Rachel as they stopped at an intersection and in an odd moment of synchronization they stepped off together again.

Room by room they went. Quinn would throw open a door and Rachel would go in first. So far they'd found nothing except dusty but wonderful looking rooms. Beds - actual beds - and private ensuite bathrooms to boot. They hadn't tested to see if the showers worked, but the idea of getting to take an honest to god shower made Quinn almost want to cry. If they could stay... if they could just stay one night there.

It was like they'd found paradise.

Quinn didn't know how long they'd been at it, stalking around the ship looking for trouble, but she was relieved when they finally made it to the top deck. The captain's quarters were empty, but as they left the roomy space she saw Rachel set her jaw right before she lowered her pistol.

"Rachel?"

"This is it," Rachel whispered and slumped. "This is - I can't even - I didn't want to get my hopes up but it was impossible not to and this has exceeded them. I'm not disappointed."

Understanding exactly what she meant, Quinn reached up and lightly set her hand on Rachel's trembling shoulders. "Let's find our rescuer."

Rachel didn't holster her pistol, though she was no longer holding it out, and Quinn lowered hers as well. The tension that had been slowly ebbing away the longer they found nothing didn't diminish entirely, but she felt far more relaxed as they headed towards the bridge.

Well Quinn assumed it was towards the bridge; she'd been lost after the second deck. Everything looked the same. She knew they were going up and now she knew they were headed towards the front of the ship. Her limited experience on ships and research about ships told her that the bridge would be at the front on the highest deck, but she still felt out of sorts. If anyone asked why she looked so confused she'd blame it on seasickness. Or maybe on being overwhelmed at where they were and how far they'd come.

There was one last door to go through and Rachel and Quinn froze again, Rachel's hand on the handle. She turned to Quinn, eyes open and raw without the shield of her sunglasses. Quinn's heart jumped into her throat as the enormity of what was happening slammed down on her.

"Together," she said, the croak of her own voice foreign in her ears. She put her hand on Rachel's and together they pushed down and in.

Standing in the doorway, she tried to look at everything at once but couldn't comprehend all the various screens and equipment. What Quinn did recognize was another human being, a living human man seated in one of the plush chairs affixed to the floor. He was older, his white hair as tidy as his beard, and dressed in a white collared shirt and blue slacks. She wondered if those were the only clothes he had, much like the rest of them, or if he'd been unable to let go of his previous life. Either way she felt like a dirty child, an orphan like Oliver Twist, under his piercing gaze.

Rachel shifted beside her just a little and leaned closer. "Captain Bitterman?"

"Yes," he replied, standing up slowly, gnarled hands pressing hard into the arms of his seat. "And you must be Ms. Berry. Welcome aboard."

The tension broke the second he smiled, blue eyes crinkling at the corners. Rachel started to laugh, or maybe cry, and strode forward to shake the man's hand. Quinn stayed where she was, rooted to the floor.

"Sir, it is - I do not have words for how happy I am to make your acquaintance." Rachel laughed again and when she turned Quinn saw tears in the corners of her eyes. "This is Quinn; I'm afraid we're both somewhat shocked. Your ship is, well, to us it seems like heaven."

"Please, call me Jed," he said and smiled again. "Where's the rest of your group?"

Quinn licked at her lips. "They're waiting for us to call them in."

"What is this?" Rachel asked, waving her hand around.

"The Skylark is a research vessel. She took scientists to the Antarctic for many years. I'd be happy to give a rundown of what's left onboard once you get your crew down. I think - " the radio crackled to life amongst the various controls and Jed held up a hand. "I'm sorry, excuse me."

"Captain?"

Rachel shot Quinn a look, but Quinn shrugged. It would make sense if there were other survivors on the ship.

"Rory?"

"Um, there are two men with very impressive rifles on board. Have we been boarded by pirates?"

Jed smiled. "No, we've picked up some new friends, Rory. Why don't you head up to the bridge?"

"Oh... thanks for the warning. I'm sorry about that, gentlemen, apparently you're friends. Be right up, Cap."

"See you soon, son." He sighed and put the radio back in it's place. "I'm sorry, I should have realized you would have brought scouts in. That's Rory, a nice young man I picked up in Seattle. He's a pediatrician and normally wouldn't hurt a fly. I hope he didn't rough up those boys too bad."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, trying to imagine a mild-mannered doctor getting the drop on Chevy and Alex. "I'm sure they're fine. Those boys are both soldiers."

"As I was saying," Jed continued, raising his arms to guide Rachel and Quinn out of the bridge. "I think you'll all be nicely surprised with the Skylark. Perhaps the others could meet us in the dining hall? There will be more room there."

"There's a dining hall?" Quinn asked, choking on the words. "With actual food?"

"Rory and I generally catch our food, but we do have some canned goods stacked away if the fishing is lousy. I hope you all like seafood."

"Anything that is fresh would be a blessing," Rachel said and smiled, her eyes glassy again.

As they exited the room Alex and Chevy came towards them down the hall. Alex was poking at a whopper of a black eye and Chevy had a scowl on his face that would have scared away almost anyone. Behind them a third man was walking along with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his torn jeans. A head taller than Chevy and just as broadly shouldered, he didn't look like any doctor Quinn had ever encountered. "Uh, I thought you said he was a pediatrician, not an MMA fighter."

"You're a doctor? A kid doctor?" Chevy spun around and stopped Rory short. "No, no way."

Rory shrugged and grinned. "I already said I was sorry for kicking your ass. There's not a whole hell of a lot to do around here other than fish and work out, okay? And I did explain to you that I studied Wing Chun. I mean, dude, let it go."

"Fish and workout," Alex repeated with a raised eyebrow, completely ignoring Chevy's mumbling. "It is heaven."

"Not until I see bikinis and margaritas," Chevy replied.

Nobody could sit still.

Seated in the ridiculously plush dining hall in the middle deck of the ship, Quinn couldn't help but smile as she watched the group fidget like a group of kids at an assembly. Everyone wanted to explore their new surroundings, take a nap in an actual bed, shower, or have a hot meal. She would have been antsy herself, but she couldn't move around much wedged between Luz and Chevy.

Rachel stood in the middle of the room grinning widely with Jed right next to her. Finally, she lifted her hands and the room fell silent. "I know you all are excited and want to go look around, but we all need to make some decisions and Captain Bitterman would like to tell you about our new home."

"There are several rooms and you're welcome to whichever you'd like," Jed said. "There's a library on the third deck, a gym on the second, the physician's room is on the first floor. We have a small theater with a small stock of movies also on the second floor. If you'd like to fish, which I would encourage seeing as Rory is a lousy fisherman - "

"Hey!" Rory shouted half-heartedly, a crooked smile on his tan features. He threw an arm over the back of his seat and CJ, who was sitting next to him. CJ rolled her eyes and looked over at Quinn who could only grin.

"The fishing gear is on the first deck, but please come and ask me to get if for you. I'd like it if a few people could be trained to take shifts on the bridge and ask that the rest of you steer clear of it." He looked to Rachel and she nodded before sending a pointed look over at Quinn and the rest sitting around her. "There's also the matter of the engine room; if any of you are mechanics that would be very helpful in keeping the Skylark running."

"I can help with that," Ollie said, raising his hand. "I mean, I was a car mechanic before the world went to pot, but I'm familiar with the innards of vehicles so I can probably figure it out."

"That would be great," Jed said. "I'll speak with you after this, if you don't mind?"

Ollie shook his head and Jed clapped his hands together. "Then we just need to discuss whether you're planning on staying on board or if there's a destination in mind?"

"I feel like I'm on a cruise," Luz mumbled to Quinn who nodded. It did feel very surreal, especially when Jed then went over safety procedures. Lifeboats. Fires. Storms. She shivered at the mention of bad weather. The idea of being on a ship as it was thrown around by waves was not appealing. Images from Titanic kept popping up in her head...

"I know we've been focused on getting somewhere and here we are. This feels like somewhere," Rachel went on, once Jed had turned the room back to her. "But what we need to think about now is the future. I'd like to propose that we discuss a place that could be our own. We could settle somewhere on land and rebuild, well... humanity."

"We just escaped from humanity, or what's left of it," a voice spoke out.

"Not back to the mainland," Rachel assured with a slow shake of her head. "That would be going backwards. What if we could find someplace with a small population - something manageable - or an uninhabited island?"

Quinn sat up, thinking about her daydream of an island paradise. "There are several small uninhabited islands out here."

"Trouble is resources," Chevy said, knocking his shoulder against Quinn's like he was reading her mind and saw her dream. "We could end up stranded somewhere with no drinking water and little food. We're going to have to go somewhere we can catch our own food and have access to water that's not salty. I have an idea..."

"Well why do you have that look on your face that says that I'm going to hate it?" Luz asked and made a face at him. "That's what you look like right now."

"It's in Alaska. There's this island off of Kodiak: Afognak. It's a big hunting and fishing destination. There are also pre-existing cabins and a hunting lodge, but it can get pretty cold up there."

The room went silent as everyone worked to process the information.

"No population?" Quinn asked, watching Rachel's face for any hints at what she was thinking. But Rachel's face had gone blank, giving nothing away.

"No. I was looking in to flying out there for a vacation. You either fly or take a boat there and the only people who stayed year 'round were the caretakers. It's close enough to Kodiak that if we needed something we could make a trip. It'd be dangerous though, doing that. Kodiak is inhabited."

"Let's just - all in favor of trying to find an island closer here that's not crawling with... inhabitants, and meets our needs." Rachel raised her hand and looked around the room.

No one raised their hand.

"All in favor of trying for Alaska?"

One by one every hand went up.

"Well I guess I won't be getting a tan then," CJ quipped.

Quinn sighed when the meeting was adjourned. She watched as people all but tripped over themselves in their haste to get out and explore. Luz stood up and tapped the table with her fist.

"Hey, we need to think about the kids," she said, pointing out Skyler and Becca as they stood just inside the door. "A lot of them are on their own. Maybe we put all of their rooms close by? Or could we modify a space for them and have an adult with them?"

"The ship is clear," Chevy said, quirking an eyebrow. "They'll be fine."

"They're all alone. Orphans." Luz glared at him and crossed her arms. "In another strange place, and don't tell me this ship isn't dangerous, Chevy. We've both spent time on the ocean. What are they supposed to do when they get scared and the ship is being tossed around like a cork?"

"We could pull some mattresses and put them in the conference room. We're not using it and it should be big enough," Rory suggested, looking to Jed who nodded.

"I'll take care of that," Luz said, and before anyone else could stop her headed straight for Skyler and Becca. She knelt down and spoke quietly with the two wide-eyed kids who eventually nodded and took her hands. "I'm on channel two if anyone needs me."

"Skyler, you okay?" Rachel asked.

He nodded and pointed his free hand at Becca who was staring at Quinn.

"That's my friend Lu," Quinn said and smiled encouragingly. "She'll take good care of you, okay sweetie? I promise I'll come check on you tonight."

That seemed to mollify them, Luz turned after offering a cheeky wink and walked off with her two adopted charges.

Rachel stepped around the table and slumped into the now open seat next to Quinn.

"You okay?" Quinn asked.

"Oh yeah, great. I'm in shock."

"Think we'll find Milla Jovovich in Alaska?" Chevy wondered.

TBC...