During the evening shift, the calm hum of seaQuest was suddenly shattered by the blare of alarms. Red lights flashed through the corridors, and the crew’s voices crackled over comms in quick, panicked bursts.

Lucas was already running. He skidded to a stop in front of you, out of breath. “Come on!” he said, grabbing your arm. “We’ve got a breach in hydro systems — it’s bad.”

The two of you sprinted through the narrow halls. Lucas kept talking as you ran. “Some equipment malfunctioned. Water’s flooding the lower deck. If we don’t stabilize it, pressure’s gonna go critical.”

By the time you reached the corridor, you could already hear it— the hiss of water forcing its way through metal, the distant groan of the hull straining. A sheen of water covered the floor, rising faster than you expected.

Lucas didn’t even hesitate. He splashed forward into the rising water, the alarms howling like something alive. “The control panel’s on the far bulkhead!” he shouted over the sirens. “If I can reroute the pressure valves, it might stop the flooding—if we’re lucky!”

Lucas dropped to his knees by a console, tearing the panel open with his bare hands. “C’mon, c’mon…” he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to you.

The water was already up pass your knees now, swirling fast. It didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.