"No! No! No!" Reed yelped, stretching her hands to find leverage, but the void remained just as empty as it was before. There was nothing to grab... To pull herself up... She was freefalling into the dark maw of the beast.

Feeling the temperature drop, her fingers grazed the darkness before an unknown force pulled her backwards, something wrapping around her foot. She bellyflopped into the sandy slope, causing a cloud of sand to blur her vision. Her head crashed into the dune, something inside the helmet clicking.

With her throat finally clear, Reed was ready to scream and fight for her life against the unknown presence, but Ryan's voice interrupted her attempt to defend herself.

"I got you! Reed! I got you!" he breathed, pulling her across the sand and back towards the flat surface of the bridge. Her heart fluttered like a caged bird, a little canary looking into the dark maw of the beast beneath her.

Finally, with the last pull, Reed found herself laying flat on the sand. Ryan was sitting right beside her, red in the face and heaving. Reed rolled onto her stomach, fighting for every breath she took with the tightness in her chest.

So close...

It had been so close and she would have been lost...

She squeezed her eyes shut.

So close...

"The fridge?" Ryan breathed out, a hint of hope colouring his voice.

Reed didn't look at him, keeping her eyes closed to spare herself from seeing the disappointment on his face.

"No... It fell..."

She distantly heard a dull thud right beside her.

"Fuck..."

"I am sorry..." she mumbled.

"No... It's... It's fine..."

He nudged her with his foot, causing Reed to open her eyes.

"Let's go... Before that thing returns..."

Reed took his outstretched hand, fingers gripping his palm tightly while he pulled her up.

"W... What even was that?"

Ryan shrugged his shoulders.

"I didn't see... I think it was some fish..."

Reed exhaled shakily, remembering the sheer force she was pushed with. Whatever it was, it was big and strong... And she didn't want to find out anything more about it.

Her fingers grazed the defence button.

"Don't press it... At least not yet..." Ryan warned.

Reed's fingers curled into a fist, hand hovering above the pulse generator before she finally let her hand fall to the side. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

"What do we do now?"

Ryan seemed lost, looking between the direction of the Storage and the Vault. They had a decision to make, one that couldn't wait... Would they return? Or would they dare to venture even further into the abyss?

Ryan's fists tightened, his posture straightening up.

"We go to the Storage..."

Reed's eyebrows rose, mouth falling open before closing like a fish.

"Storage? I thought you-"

"We are going... That's final..." he muttered, already walking away from her.

Reed stood there, stunned by the harshness of his voice.

She could easily sense the blame in his voice, Ryan silently accusing her of sentencing them to death... And she couldn't blame him for it. That was perhaps the worst part of their predicament, that Reed couldn't hate him for getting snarky with her. She hated that despite everything she'd promised to herself, she still sympathised with him.

She sighed before hopping forward in an attempt to catch up with the man.

"Wait!"

She needed only a few big strides to catch up with Ryan.

"Wait, we have to stay together..."

Ryan glanced at her, opting to remain silent while he marched towards the Supply.

"Ryan?-"

"Keep up... The sooner we get there, the sooner we come back to safety..." he muttered, his words too curt for her liking.

And so they walked in silence, leaving clouds of debris in their wake like mushrooms after rain.

Despite no indication of immediate danger, aside from the unfortunate incident from minutes ago, Reed felt the tension in her shoulders worsen at the eerie silence between her and her companion.

There was something strange about their situation... A peculiar notion that continued to elude her. She didn't know what exactly changed and with a thousand thoughts buzzing in her head, Reed couldn't help but let the feeling of strangeness go.

It felt like an impossible situation. Reed couldn't have done anything about the fridge... She knew it wasn't her fault... But, if it wasn't her fault why did it feel like it was? The fridge was right there but something pushed her off... Had she made too much noise? Gave away her position? Surely, no more than Ryan gave away his...

She glanced at the man walking in front of her, her eyes tracing the edges of the suit. She could see him so clearly despite the murky water...

The more she got to know Ryan, the more she knew he wasn't fit to lead. It was a simple analysis... Nothing more.

Alex was a fighter, quick to anger, yes, but disciplined and sure of what he wanted. Ryan was most definitely not a fighter... He would freeze up, and back away in fear while Alex would charge forward. As much as those words were hurtful, she knew she was right... Ryan wasn't fit to lead.

It was so easy to complain, to criticize Ryan's every move... It was easy until somebody else had to take over. One could say that being understanding of his position was more important than ever before, but was it truly time to be understanding? Was the bottom of the Ocean the right place to do it? Reed didn't know... She was torn between what was right and what was necessary.

Ryan was unfit to lead... But so was she...

Soon, the ghostly wreckage of what once was a Supply Storage came into their view. Reed's heart sank at the sight of the gnarled steel and broken beams sticking out from the ground like the skeletal remains of a mechanical beast.

The top of the supply was ripped away, along with the front wall. All that remained were the twisted supporting pillars and whatever was left of the walls and the floor. A bunch of wires and pipes floated around, pieces of metal littering the otherwise pristine sand around them.

Reed almost bumped into Ryan, so focused on the wreckage before them she didn't notice he completely stopped.

"Ryan?" she asked quietly, unable to see the man's face.

He just stood there, looking at the remains of the Storage in silence. He didn't answer her call, deaf to any words that left her mouth. He just stood there... Unmoving... Like a statue...

"All of it..." he muttered.

A dark chuckle echoed through her communicator.

"Y-you would think that... That is at least one... That... That even one would survive..." he mumbled in a trance, eyes glued to the empty floors of the supply.

"S-statistically... One should still be... I..." he choked, falling silent once again.

Reed didn't know what to do. Her hand awkwardly hovered over Ryan's shoulder, ready to comfort him, yet she didn't lower it. Was it her place? She rejected his advances... Did he want consolation from her?

"Ryan... Let's go back-"

"There still should be one left!" he bellowed, his voice uncharacteristically high.

"There should still be one! That's- I- There should still... The statistics! I don't understand!"

He bent in half, the fingers gripping his helmet.

"There should still be one... Fuck..." his voice cracked, the curse sounding more like a sob.

"Why? Why is this happening?"

Reed stood right by him, eyes scanning the steel graveyard before them.

He was right... There should have been at least one left... Unless they were removed deliberately...

She could feel the unease pool into her stomach, a sudden feeling of being watched crawling up her back.

"I... Maybe It took all of them on purpose..."

Ryan stilled at the sound of his words.

"What?" he asked.

Reed stood behind him awkwardly. She didn't like the sudden edge in his voice.

"What do you mean "on purpose"?"

"I... I thought Isa told you about-"

"About what? What did you find?"

"It... The monster spoke English... The screams... They were distorted English..."

Ryan remained silent, gazing into the wreckage. A few minutes passed before he finally spoke again, his voice cracking.

"I... You are right... Let's go back..."

"Are you sure? You seem-"

"I am fine... There is nothing more left for us here..."

It was only minutes into the painfully shameful walk towards the Vault, that the strange thought at the back of Reed's head had been finally solved.

"Ryan?" she mumbled meekly, quietly marvelling at the sudden clearness of her vision.

"What?" he barked, clearly having been interrupted brooding.

"You can turn the night vision off... We don't need it anymore..."

The Vault was quiet, the sorrowful silence filled the walls like leaking water, drowning everybody in its sombre depths. It had been hours since they had returned, and the second Ryan's foot touched the floor of their base, he escaped to his workshop, locking the door behind him.

Reed didn't bother going after him, knowing he wouldn't open the door for her anyway.

She couldn't help but drown with him, feeling the helplessness settle behind her ribs like a caged bird.

They couldn't do anything... No fridges were left, and no food was to be found anywhere around the dunes. They could try and hunt down fish, but the risk of furthering the infection with contaminated meat was too great to take...

They were left with nothing... Nothing but awaiting which would kill them first.

No matter how long Reed would think, how many options she would go through while rolling an empty mug along the Radio Room's counter... She couldn't come up with anything.

Their food rations have long been spoiled, rotting away behind the closed door that was never to be opened. They couldn't hunt... They couldn't gather... They couldn't even scavenge...

All was lost...

Reed sighed, feeling the weight on her shoulders slowly crush her.

She had to find and tell Isabella...

Reed didn't feel like being a designated messenger, delivering the news and crushing any hope the woman might have still had... But it had to be done. Even if Isabella hadn't been involved in their little venture, opting to instead seek solitude in the twisted corridors of the Vault, she still deserved to know...

But that didn't mean Reed couldn't spend just a few minutes longer in here... In her own company...

Her eyes watched the cup roll back and forth, the handle hitting against the counter whenever the mug rolled too far. The repetitive clanking lulled her frazzled mind, soothing the aching and sorrow until there was nothing left but the void.

How did she want to die?

It wasn't a question anybody would want to entertain... But the dice of fate had already been cast...

Dying from infection didn't appear pleasant, but then again what type of untimely death did... Every time Reed had walked through the Common Room she could hear Alex's pained groans, the agony too much to bear in silence. Isabella used to sedate him, to relieve him in his final days, but sooner than later the injections stopped working, the man's dying screams becoming louder and harder to ignore...

There was a chance she would succumb to hunger before the clutches of illness closed around her. She would get weaker and weaker, feeling her body trying to sustain itself through dissolving her tissues. In a way, starvation didn't seem like a bad option compared to the other alternatives.

Afterall... They had been stripped of the ability to choose their own end...

The cup clunkered against the steel counter once again.

There was nothing left...

Nothing to look forward to...

The only thing that was left was the past.

She couldn't help but wonder how different the mission would have been... How it all would have ended up if they hadn't been so daring in their research.

Perhaps she would have finished the research with little to no change in her life... Returning to what she left behind in Ireland.

Maybe she would have stayed with the GOI and climbed the corporate ladder until she made a name for herself. Hell, in her most daring scenarios, Reed could see herself receiving a Nobel* prize for her work.

Maybe she would have dated Ryan... Maybe even marry him? Have a cute house together and a couple of pets... and kids.

She shook her head.

No... With the way Ryan was, she knew divorce would be inevitable...

She sighed, eyes returning to the rolling mug.

"Reed?"

Her neck snapped to the entrance, eyes falling onto Ryan standing in the doorway. He looked pale, a poorly concealed grimace of worry colouring his face.

"Can... Can we talk?" he asked quietly.

Reed nodded, expecting him to come and sit next to her, but the man remained where he stood. His green eyes pierced her soul, gauging for a reaction.

"Are... Are you going to sit or...?"

Her question seemed to wake him up from whatever trance he had been in, his eyes suddenly brighter and more focused.

"I... No... I will stay here..."

"Alright..." she said slowly.

That wasn't a good sign.

Ryan's posture was stiff as a board, tremor making his fingers curl.

"I... I will need you to do something for me... It's really important..."

He had Reed's full attention.

She turned on the office chair, facing him directly before asking.

"What is it?"

Ryan's eyes darted around the room, the man avoiding her gaze.

"I... I need you to find out where the Oxford Submarine is..."

Reed looked at him quizzically. She did not understand the purpose behind his words, but the nervous twitch of his lip didn't escape her notice.

"Why?" she asked, sensing something sinister creeping into the air.

Ryan didn't answer yet again, opting to stare at his feet instead. His body language betrayed the discomfort he was feeling. His eyes hid darkness Reed had never seen before as if somebody had blown the candles behind that luminous eyes of his. He seemed dull... Colourless... Like all life had suddenly evaporated from his frame.

"Why?" she repeated more forcefully.

An inkling of an idea began tumbling in her head, every thought it touched turning dark and unsettling. He couldn't possibly imply... No... No, he couldn't ask for something like that from her.

She wouldn't let him.

"No... I won't do it..."

"Rowan..."

"No... No, you couldn't possibly..." Her voice cracked.

How could he? How could he even suggest such a thing? Was that why he tried rekindling with her? To use her as a pawn?

"I am not... I won't sentence these people to death-"

"This is the only other food source we have... We... We need to Rowan-"

"Don't fucking call me that... Not after... Do you want to rob these people? After everything-"

"Do you see another solution?!" He yelled, making Reed flinch.

"I...I..." she stuttered out, taken by surprise by his sudden outburst.

He wasn't just angry... He was enraged and desperate, a deadly combination.

"We... We could ask them-"

"Ask them?! Ask them?! Ask them what?" his eyes glazed over.

"Please give us food. We are starving... Are you out of your fucking mind?!" he shouted, losing his cool completely.

"I... We can't..."

"I am not asking you to rob them... I am asking you to check If we can even reach them-"

"Fuck you..."

Ryan's eyes opened wide.

"Fuck you... You think I am stupid?! You are going to ask me later... I know you will..."

Ryan's fingers travelled to the bridge of his nose, squeezing it tightly.

"What will you have me do then?" he asked quietly.

Reed was silent, staring at him with her eyes wide open in fear. Was this how far they had to go for survival?

"What will you have me do? We are starving... There is no food left for us..."

Their eyes met, his emerald ones full of pure desperation.

It felt like a bucket of cold water being dumped onto her head.

"What would you have me do? Where do I get our food from?" He repeated.

She remained silent, breaking the eye contact to instead look at her hands.

She could feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"Where do I get it from?!" Ryan raised his voice.

"Where?!"

"I don't know..." she mumbled, feeling the hot teardrops travel down her face.

Ryan seemed taken aback, an undecipherable look crossing his face while he took a step back. Reed couldn't bear to look at him, feeling whatever fondness she'd retained for him escape her body along with the tears.

Ryan stood there, staring in silence while he debated what to do, finally opting to leave the room.

"You have talked with them more than any of us... They might be our last hope..." he mumbled, back turned to her.

"Just... Just please try..."

He left almost as soon as he appeared, leaving her with a mess in her hands like he always seemed to do.

A raw sob ripped out of her throat.

She was right...

All was lost.

The sight of Isabella was a welcomed distraction from her growling stomach, a grim reminder of the events of the past day. Isabella sat curled in the corner of the Observatory where they had left her, but unlike the last time, she was surrounded by sheets of paper. She was scribbling stubbornly, the page turned away from Reed's view.

"Isa?" She started gently, trying to bring the woman's attention to herself.

Isabella's eyes snapped to her, wide and dark like the starless night sky. She seemed startled, clutching the note closer to her chest.

"Hello..." she muttered, eyebrows creasing.

Reed could easily pick up on the skittishness behind her movements.

"How are you doing?" she asked quietly.

Isabella shrugged.

"I am working..." she whispered, looking over her notes.

The spasming tremor in one of her hands didn't escape Reed's notice.

She couldn't quite put it into words... What she was seeing... There was something delicate and fragile behind Isa's eyes... Something unseen before. Reed had always thought of her as a rock, a stone formation standing against the waves, no matter how big they were... But even stone isn't immune to the flow of time. The glimmer of hope, that spark Reed would see in those eyes during research hours, was gone...

She tried inching closer to her, holding the eye contact with her.

"What are you working on?"

She tried peaking over her arm, but Isabella curled in on herself even more, obscuring the view.

"It's... It's not ready..." she muttered, glaring at Reed.

"Ummm..."

Her reaction stunned Reed, but the sudden aggression wouldn't deter her.

"Okay then... What is it about?"

Isabella looked at her, eyes digging into Reed's soul. Reed knew that look, having seen it countless times, even directed at herself once or twice. These were the eyes of a scholar, studying the subject before them.

However, Isabella must have reached an unfavourable conclusion, turning around and away from Reed's view, accidentally exposing the page.

Reed's eyes widened at the contents, but she wouldn't comment on them, instead leaning away and giving Isabella some room.

"I am hungry..." Isa muttered.

"When are you going out?"

Reed raised an eyebrow.

"Going out?"

"Yes... Out..."

Reed felt her heart sink.

I am hungry...

When are you going out?

"Isa... I told you yesterday... There was no food left in the Storage..." she whispered.

Isabella's eyes widened, looking her up and down in confusion. Her eyebrows creased, fingers tightening around the already crumpled page. The tremor in her hand had returned.

"I... Yes, I know..."

She pressed herself more into the corner.

Reed sat on the back of her shins, gazing at Isabella with her watchful eyes.

The tremors... The withdrawal and the apparent weakness... Her heart was breaking at the pathetic state her friend was in. She seemed defenceless, helpless... Like a child separated from her mother.

Was the loss of her notes really that detrimental? Causing the regress? It could be really possible that it was... Reed had seen Isabella drown herself in work, perhaps to escape their reality. Having to lose that? It must have been devastating... And the hunger didn't help...

She felt guilt climb up her spine like a vine of poison ivy, taking its roots in the depths of her soul. Isabella was getting worse... They needed to eat... But there was nothing she could do for her... Nothing that wouldn't involve sacrificing the little humanity she had.

"I am hungry..." Isabella mumbled, more to herself than to Reed.

"I know..."

"I want to be alone..." she added, her face tucked into her shoulder.

"I need to work... I need to document what is happening to us... Let me work..." There was an edge to her voice, a signal to leave before things would turn sour.

"Will you be okay?" Reed asked, foolishly hoping to see a glance of Isabella peeking from the dark pools of her eyes, but Isabella ignored her. She was pushing herself into the wall, desperately trying to put some distance between them.

Her shaky frame told Reed everything she wanted to know, her heart suffering at the sight of her. She coughed awkwardly, clearing her throat before standing up.

"I... I will let you be then..." she mumbled, backing away and towards the door.

Isabella didn't even look up, staring into her notes instead.

It was only after Reed left that her face finally drained of colour, the mask slipping off.

She didn't want to think about it about Isabella's notes... She didn't want to think about the whole predicament...

She walked like in a trance, legs carrying her wherever they wanted to while her mind mulled over what she had seen.

The notes... The pages of her notes were blank... The pen wasn't even uncapped...

She'd seen her scribble so violently, yet there was no trace of it on the page... Just pristine white...

Was this the end? Was this what they were to become in their final days? Hollow shells of their former selves, repeating the tasks of their past until their bodies fail?

She only went so far before the weight of the world collapsed onto her shoulders, causing her to stumble into the neighbouring wall.

They were dying... She didn't feel it yet but with every minute they were just closer to the end... Suddenly, she felt like she was being swallowed by the oblivion. Her view went dark, weakness overtaking her bones and forcing her to slide down the wall until she was sitting with her head in her hands.

They were going to die...

A sob ripped out from her chest, muscles contracting at the involuntary gasp.

They were going to die...

She could have done... She could have done so much... So much with her life and now?

"Fuck!" She yelled, fist colliding with the ground.

"Fuck! Fuck!"

Her fists would bang against the cold floor, knuckles splitting open with every punch.

That couldn't be it... That couldn't be the end...

She wanted to scream.

She wanted to feel her vocal cords strain, the skin of her throat peal until she couldn't scream any more.

This couldn't be it...

Isabella's hollow eyes haunted her mind, voices of people she knew echoing through the chambers of her psyche.

Diane.

Ruth.

Milo.

Alex.

Ryan.

Isabella...

The tears burned her face, snot dripping down her upper lip.

Truly... All was lost... The life she could have... The love she could have... All was gone...

It had been hours... Hours of agony... Hours of cursing fate and whoever was behind it...

She felt hollow. Empty...

Her throat ached with use, knuckles stinging while the blood sipped onto the floor beside her.

But she didn't mind the pain... She didn't mind it at all...

The pain meant she was alive... But not for long...

She turned her eyes towards the end of the corridor, tracing the outline of the doorway.

Of course... Her legs led her here... To the bane of her existence... The mother of her guilt...

The Radio Room.

She straightened the collar of her blouse, checking the lapels of her jacket for any wrinkles.

She had to look perfect... Everything had to be perfect.

She readjusted her glasses, making sure they sat straight on her nose.

"You want them to take you seriously? Then make sure you look like them..."

The advice of her colleague echoed in her head.

She had to look proper.

Distinguished.

She needed them to know she was one of them.

Very few made it this far without financial support from their parents and institutes...

She glanced at Marcus, looking himself over the mirror one final time. She couldn't help rolling her eyes at him, wondering why he even bothered to show up... It wasn't like he contributed much besides sending her a text every now and then. Perhaps Bell made him attend since his name was mentioned in the research logs and his father would be in the audience among the dignitaries?

She didn't know and she didn't particularly care..

Marcus was a spoiled brat who didn't even look like he wanted to be at the conference.

But, it was her day.

The day everything was about to change.

She wouldn't let him ruin it.

"Are you ready?" The coordinator asked, handing over the microphone attached to her headphones.

Reed nodded, bracing herself for what was to come.

"Ladies and Gentlemen... may I introduce to you the genius minds behind the "Sound Maria" research!" Bell's bellowing voice echoed through the speakers outside.

Reed took a deep breath, revising the speech for the last time before walking through the curtain.

The shine of the reflectors blinded her as the ovations filled the room. She had to squint, feeling the twinge of embarrassment. She had never seen so many faces before, all studying her from the second she set foot on the stage.

"Please welcome, Doctor Rowan Agatha Reed and Doctor Marcus Dean!"

Another wave of applause washed over her ears.

She had to readjust her stance, feeling her knees shake from the nervous excitement.

She smiled, straining her eyes not to blink at the camera's flashes.

Bell glanced at her, opening his mouth once again.

"As you might know... The "Sound Maria" was an astounding project funded by the Oxford Marine Institute in hopes of finding new shining talents to join our institution. Picking the best from the best one might say... I am sure most of you remember your ceremonies and projects and look back fondly on those memories..." Bell let another round of clapping echo through the hall.

The best of the best... That's what he said... That's what he had told her repeatedly throughout the research. Finally, hours of hard work would pay off. She'd lost months of her life studying the patterns, videos and finally... She was finally standing on that stage, in front of the group of people whose approval meant everything...

And Reed was that... She was the best of the best. She was going to join them... Be a part of something much greater than herself... Just like Bell said she would be.

She repeated the words of her speech in her head.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Respected Experts in our field... It is my great pleasure and honour, to nominate the new addition to the Institute committee. They have been a true asset to the mission. Their devotion and focus bring us ever closer to exploring the mysteries of our Oceans. Please, let me pass the microphone to our newest and youngest member..."

Rowan Reed...

"Marcus Dean!"

She could feel her guts twist, a sharp stabbing pain coursing through her body.

Her eyes opened wide.

Rowan Reed... What about Rowan Reed?

"Doctor Dean, please tell us..."

All voices fell deaf to her ears.

Rowan Reed?

What about Rowan Reed?

She looked up, meeting the familiar eyes from across the hall.

David stood by the entrance, blood seeping down his face. Pieces of bone and soft tissue stuck out from where his left eye should be.

She watched in horror as his lips stretched in a sinister smile, bloodied teeth glistening in the light of the reflectors.

She screamed.

"Yeah... What happened to Rowan Reed?" she mumbled, eyes glaring at the door to the Radio Room. It felt embarrassing how much she cared what they thought of her... How much she wanted the approval of some spoiled idiots...

She let out a dark chuckle through the tears.

She got herself into this situation just to prove them wrong... Didn't that mean that she cared? That she cared what they thought? That she wanted them to take her back?

Reed glared at the door, feeling an unexplainable wrath overcome her as if the object was a person... Staring at her... Tempting her...

They were dying.

Isabella.

Ryan.

Rowan Reed.

They were as good as dead... They had no food. No chance of survival against the infection and hunger. It would be selfish... Selfish to rob a bunch of innocent people just to buy them some more time... To expose them to the danger of getting infected... It was selfish...

But the only problem was that... The longer she stared at the door... The more appealing the notion was...

They needed food. They needed to survive. Was it selfish to want those close to you safe? Sated? Was it truly selfish? To want these people to stay alive?

It all went against the principles she had been standing behind and yet...

Was she ready to sacrifice herself and others for a bunch of strangers?

The hunger pains coursing through her gut disagreed.

She could see Isabella's hollow eyes and feel Ryan's not-so-discreet glances.

She would watch them get weaker and weaker... Dropping like flies until there was no one left...

Reed suddenly stood up, the prolonged sitting position causing her legs to tingle unpleasantly. She stumbled backwards, hitting the same wall she'd been propped up against, but it wouldn't deter her. It felt like something in her body was born anew, the flames of something inexplainable taking over her body as she walked towards the room.

She pulled the door open, stepping into the chamber.

They didn't deserve to die...

They didn't deserve this fate...

In seconds she found herself sitting in the chair, pressing various buttons before picking up the microphone.

"Hello? Oxford Submarine, do you copy?"

Strangely, it felt like she was listening to somebody else's broadcast, hearing the voice from outside rather than inside of her head.

"Do you copy?"

"Hello? Yes, we copy. Hello?" A male voice responded through the speaker.

Although she immediately could tell the man wasn't Laine, his voice sounded eerily familiar. Had she talked with him before?

Her hand twitched.

Laine... The nice man from the Oxford Submarine...

Was she really going to do this?

Was she really going to hurt Laine after all they had been through together?

Her fingers hung above the button.

"Hello? We copy, hello?"

Isabella's hollow eyes burned in the back of her mind.

She pressed the call button.

"Hello, It's the GOI crew..." she started.

Reed felt like she was sitting beside herself, watching the whole scene play out with no say in it. It was happening... And she couldn't force herself to stop...

"We have been reached by a rescue party. We told them you are also stuck here, but they couldn't find you on sonars. Do you know your location?" she asked, lying through her teeth.

"Oh... Oh my God..." The man muttered through the radio.

"Oh my God! We are saved! Oh God... I... Of course, let me find them!"

The line fell silent for a split second before the man returned.

"Are you sure these are right? I could have sworn... Never mind..." he said to somebody in the background.

"We are about ten seconds* east and five seconds south from the oil platform. Do... Do you know where that is? It's a big reef, with white glowing corals."

"I'll make sure to tell them..." her voice was unwavering, despite the disgust she felt with herself.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..." The man had been close to crying, practically weeping into the microphone.

"I... No need to thank me..."

"Alright, we will be waiting! Please keep us in the loop!" he exclaimed before the line went deaf yet again... She pressed a couple of buttons, going over the map installed on the computer. Her eyes traced the cartographical lines, applying the instructions from the man before inevitably finding their alleged location.

Her insides twisted painfully.

She hid her face in her hands.

They were close...

They were way too close...

Fear enveloped her body, shutting her in a cocoon of self-disgust. What did she think she was going to find? Had she hoped to find they were too far to be reached? Why would she even try to find out if she didn't want them to be found?

The excitement... The pure joy and relief in the man's voice made her want to throw up. Her skin felt sticky with sweat, hands clammy.

Why had she done it?

How could she have said the words she did?

She wanted to claw her eyes out.

Pull her hair out.

She was disgusting.

She was pathetic...

And yet the weight of the news was too great to keep a secret. She knew she would break the silence... That she would tell Ryan.

She was selfish.

She was selfless.

She wanted to survive.

-----------------------------------------------------

Nobel Prize- An honorary award for contributing to benefiting humankind through discoveries, shaping culture or being involved in peace-making operations. It is awarded annually.

Seconds- Units used to specify the coordinates in cartography. Based on the longitude and latitude, one uses minutes, seconds and degrees to specify the location of certain places.