Out on The Water

The start of their first day at sea was spent in a state of profound relaxation. Sunbathing on the top deck, snacking on the bottom, resting as much as they wanted- it was something they sorely needed after so many weeks of intense exertion, walking though parks each and every day- all without having to waste a scrap of brainpower to control the vehicle. Whenever a nasty tide, looming storm, or even just an upset wave came near, the self-driving boat steered right away without their input, seeing every one of them coming long before they came about. Thanks to this, above all else, the experience was just sheer bliss. Taking in the salty air, feeling the sun and the wind on their faces… all alone in a world where they could do whatever they wanted.

All alone in a world where nobody could save them.

They were up top when it happened. They could’ve spotted it, but the girls weren’t exactly paying much attention when the reclining seats towards the stern were so comfortable. Katie only got up as a matter of reflex when a bucket of water splashed her thigh.

“Ah!”

“What’s-“

Frankie got up to see it: a whole ocean of uncontrollable chaos, sprawled out around them. It snuck up on them like nothing and now here it was rocking their boat so hard they were legitimately afraid it might capsize within the next few minutes. The entire deck was already coated in a growing sheet of water and the system wasn’t doing a damn thing about it.

“W-What the hell?” Frankie ran to the bottom deck, thankfully still dry, Katie dashing behind her just in case. After closing the hatch above them, they peered at the main control screen- nothing.

It didn’t say anything about dangerous waters nearby, much less that they were inside them. Frankie slammed her fist on the thing.

“Stupid machine!”

“We- we’ve gotta stay calm!” Her big sister swiped through the system for manual controls or something else that could help them. She eventually started to steer the ship, but they couldn’t escape the demented waves.

Frankie was panting. This wasn’t like anything she’d seen before. They weren’t even in a park. There weren’t any MASCOTs or bored rich people to save them. In that moment she almost prayed she could be inside a loud, noisy, populated amusement park rather than where she was right now- that being, exactly where she’d always wanted to go.

“Wait!” Katie swiped the screen to something else, panicking just as much but not yet able to accept the reality that she could die here. “Look, this might work!”

It didn’t inspire confidence in Frankie. Seeing the big red digital button labeled “SEND DISTRESS CALL” elicited memories of lost space cruisers (albeit mostly fictional ones) and a chapter of Percy Phytoplankton where they almost went missing in the depths of the ocean. Shit, she cursed herself. Did I just wanna go out to sea because of Percy Phytoplankton?

It was no use. Water kept splashing above them, and the two were imagining how awful drowning must be. Within minutes they were both hugging, crying, left with no other response or creative solution. And as bad as Frankie felt, as much despair as she was coming down with- she started to realize her sister looked about a million times worse.

Suddenly, a booming horn that almost hurt their ears echoed nearby and way up above.

The sister blinked at each other before climbing up to the half-sunken top deck. There they saw it- a massive cruise ship, an enormous barge…

…And a theme park.

“…You’re kidding me…”