Chapter 3

3

The guards dragged me deep into the bowels of the submarine.

The wealthy passengers watched me leave with hateful glares. Not one of them helped.

The brig was at the very back. It was small, dark, and smelled like rust and oil.

Just as the guards were about to throw me in, a kind voice came from behind.

"Hold on, Garrick."

It was Engineer Miller, the chief engineer.

He was holding a cup of tea and walking slowly with a smile.

Garrick immediately changed his tone to something submissive.

"Oh, Mr. Miller! Sorry to bother you with this small stuff."

Miller sighed and looked at me.

"She's just a young girl who's stressed out. The brig is too much."

"It'll look bad for the Abyssal Voyager's reputation if this gets out."

He looked at Garrick with a soft suggestion.

"Leave her to me. I'll take her to my private lounge and talk some sense into her."

Garrick couldn't say no. Miller was the top technical authority here.

"Of course, Mr. Miller! Whatever you say!"

The guards let go of me. I watched Miller closely.

I didn't trust him. Why was he helping me?

Chet and Whitney followed us. Whitney was still whining.

"Mr. Miller, she ruined my floor and our wine. You're just letting her go?"

Miller smiled and pulled out a checkbook. He signed a check and handed it to her.

"Miss White, I'm sorry for the trouble. This is for your wine. Tonight's tab is on me."

Whitney's eyes turned into dollar signs. She grinned instantly.

"Thank you, Mr. Miller! You're so generous!"

Chet nodded along. "You're a real gentleman, sir."

The drama seemed to vanish just like that.

Miller smiled at me. "Come along, dear."

I had no choice but to follow.

But he didn't take me to a lounge. He led me through a maze of corridors.

We stopped at a heavy door marked with a high-voltage warning sign.

"Mr. Miller, this isn't a lounge..."

"It's the main machinery room." He shoved me inside.

He slammed the heavy, soundproof door and locked it from the outside.

Through the small round window, his kind face turned into a mask of pure evil.

"You've got a sharp nose for trouble, little girl!" He hissed.

"Why are you doing this!" I pounded on the door.

"Why?" He laughed like a maniac. "Because the lead designer stole my life's work!"

"I'm going to make him watch as his precious submarine sinks to the bottom of the trench!"

"I've programmed the autopilot to dive slowly. By the time anyone notices, it'll be too late!"

He walked away, his crazy laughter echoing in the hall.

I was trapped in a room of deafening noise and vibrating metal.

Despair started to set in as I looked for a way out.

Then, behind a massive, dusty turbine, I saw a hidden panel.

It was a secret maintenance hatch!

My dad had included these in the design for quick repairs.

I used every bit of my strength to pull the heavy hatch open.