There was no relief as the wind was strong and the ship struggled to keep its path. It kept moving left, but the journey forward was also happening despite the strength of the wind. Noah and Jack made sure that they were hidden well enough as the checking on the ship continued as if it was a regular procedure. But there was no safety guaranteed with this one. It took the ship seven days to find land, and it was not exactly where it was supposed to stop. There was huge jerking around as Noah and Jack held on to all which they could until the ship stopped moving. There was land, but not that area of land which they needed.
“This is a special announcement for all categories of people on board. We were facing terrible disturbances in the sea, and it has been a very tough ride. We have tried the best as we could, but the struggle was too much. The ship has been damaged beyond repair. It can travel no more as we have rammed it here. So please get down here and move to the city with support. It is only a few kilometeres from here, and the guards from the city will be arriving in a few hours; we have also signaled the outposts here. You can also choose to wait here because the trucks will be coming to take the cargo” the announcement ended as Noah and Jack looked at each other.
“It rarely works according to the plan, right? Here, we are stuck outside the city; not even close to our destination. This journey is to be delayed until further notice, it seems” said Noah.
“Well, this might be the best thing to happen at this time, if you ask me. I am taking the positive side of this one” said Jack.
“Please look into your special screens to find a written record of what was previously said. There will be no more repetitions and do keep the major points in mind. There are dangers awaiting you if proper care is not taken. Don’t try to walk all the way to the city; this is a serious warning and not to be taken lightly” the announcement made a short-lived return, but Noah and Jack didn’t care at all.
“You mean to say that this is something which will help us. But now we have no chance to get inside the city through those guards and the strong walls. They will also have the ultra-modern security equipments, even better than those which they have inside the city. Getting in won’t be that easy as getting out” Noah had his doubts.
“I would say that this has given us a better chance. If we had gone directly to the city port, they might have identified us with ease, and could have executed us without even a trial. It is their strongest area of control where their great dictator is not present. They easily find people and kill them” confirmed Jack.
“But can we make it through these forests and wastelands all by ourselves? We are not trained for that kind of survival. Waiting for a pick-up from the city will be like a suicide. They are sure to search for identity cards because this is how the immigrants usually arrive. So, the end seems to be certain whichever path we decide to take here. Is there even one right path remaining?” asked Noah while looking outside.
“We can find a way. Have you watched a movie called Rani Padmini? It is an old movie which go back to the year 2015 or 2016 – it is from before 2020, that much I am sure about. The danger is the same everywhere, and we just need to have the courage to face it. Giving up shouldn’t be an option here because it is not what we are. The forests are easy with almost all the dangerous creatures already hunted and killed. We can keep ourselves away from whatever remains. The wastelands along with the desert will be difficult, but there is a way through the sides, even though there is the talk about a curse. I don’t believe in that and most of the sane people won’t. It might not be easy, but we will surely get through. We are better than many others, and there are people who have survived these troubles as well as the curse, even though they had no real motive as we do” assured Jack.
“First, we need to get out of here. Time to get to the land taking the very first step. The journey needs to officially begin at some point of time somewhere here; staying here becomes less safe every second. The number of hostile people will increase and the ship will go down” said Noah.
“I don’t think that these people are thinking about looking around. They seem to be focused on their priorities related to the ship and the cargo. The risk is very low right now and we can make use of this opportunity” said Jack.
As the crew were busy taking the goods out of the ship, Jack and Noah jumped into water and started swimming around the place towards the other side of land. The guards from the nearby outpost also arrived, and with their machines, tried to make sure that the ship doesn’t sink. As the ship almost finished unloading the cargo, they had reached the other side. The message said that the trucks from the city were half way there. The dark clouds had started and the rain began its business making things more difficult. The ship finished its time, but it hadn’t sunk yet.
To be continued…
Tennyson
The Divine Epic 