| EVENT |
[05 Apr 2009|02:14am] |
By 4 PM, Circean Delight's decor is more sparse than usual, but the premier restaurant has been once again deemed safe, and the doors open for cruise-goers and staff alike to gather and hear the announcements to be given by the cruise director. Once the floors fill up, the cruise director - who the captain introduced to the ship on the first night of the voyage, before his speech - takes the stage. Her name is Nina R. Brown, and she has many jobs on the ship - primarily events planning, and is in charge of staff. Most of the staff would have never actually met her, however, and would have dealt with various managers instead.
Her announcements are found by many to be... perhaps, a bit less than inspiring. Thankfully, she doesn't waste a lot of time, and jumps right to the thick of it.
"As you all know, yesterday we passed through stormy waters. Evasive maneuvers were taken to avoid what was the eye of the storm, as is typical for this type of voyage. We had no word that this storm was anything greater than a minor disturbance; it is not uncommon for cruiselines to alter course to avoid storms, and we are not traveling in the storm season for this area. While our crew's data said we were on the safest route, we inadvertently made way straight into the worst of it.
'The storm knocked out all communications, including emergency radio. We are, at this point, cut off from the main land. We do, however, have every reason to believe that while our computers and radar are down, we still will show on that of the Coast Guard. We believe it will take less than twenty-four hours for emergency help to come, at which point, all those who have been seriously injured will be airlifted to the nearest hospital. In the meantime, we are continuing back on course for Bermuda, as it is the closest port."
There are mixed reactions in the crowd at this point, from horror to outrage to simple grumbles of annoyance. Ms. Brown continues on.
"At this time, we are perfectly safe! The storm is over, and we have had no data or intelligence suggesting anything but clearer skies from here on out. Last night was a horrific tragedy, but we are all very fortunate! We have had no deaths related to injury, and we expect none. There are, however, twelve people who are still unaccounted for. They are: Naima Alan, Mason Child, Cameron Farley, Jesse James, Samantha James, Bianca Jones, Louis Jones, Zorah Lee, Azi Loka, Sasha Miaso, Melissa Montgomery, and Bob Widmore. At this point they are simply unaccounted for - if you are one of the unaccounted for persons, please make yourself known to a crew or guest services member. If they have not been found by the time communications are back online or we receive word from the Coast Guard, we will follow all proper procedure in reporting them missing. At this point, all we can do is continue to search the ship."
At this point there is a ripple of emotion in response, but Ms. Brown presses on, speaking over it.
"All of us at Odyssey Lines are very sorry for the inconvenience and trauma you have all experienced. We will strive to compensate you all on the rest of this voyage, and will do our best to make sure you are all cared for and comfortable. However, at this time, I am not able to answer questions directly. Please address any concerns, questions, or complaints with guest services, and we will do our best to address all concerns in a timely manner. Thank you." She then makes a very swift (and perhaps, wise) exit.
A particularly observant person might notice the way many of the crew seem uneasy - or even surprised - at Ms. Brown's announcement, but none will say anything against it, or in fact, anything but what has already been said. At some point in the day, guest services will contact family members of any missing persons and offer full support and services, and ask if there is anything they can do.
By dinner time, all restaurants have been cleaned up and are serving again - at no cost. Staff on the clock are encouraged to be as comforting and optimstic as possible. Communications stay offline.
The curious thing that Ms. Brown failed to mention is the fact that not a single clock on the ship can be found that works anymore. Every clock has stopped at twelve, and all digital clocks died entirely. All one can really do is guess the time by the position of the sun - though that's a lot more difficult than it should be. Something weird is going on....
It is still A-OK to write and continue scenes that happen before 4 PM. At this point, you can write scenes and journal entries at any point in the current gameday.
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