Free Noah's Ark: Survivors by Harry Dayle

fuel, we should at the very least get closer to land. We all know we can’t survive at sea indefinitely, even with rationing. Our objective has to be to try and find land, and land that hasn’t been destroyed by the asteroid.”
    Once again everyone nodded their agreement.  
    “What else is in limited supply?” Jake looked around at the others. “We don’t know how long we’ll be stuck at sea. What can we not live without, and how much of it have we got? Food has to be the next priority, after water and fuel.”
    “We’re well stocked, but of course supplies are finite.” Silvia leapt in, glad to be back in her comfort zone. “I suggest we close all the restaurants and bars immediately. Anything non-perishable should be preserved. The freezers are going to need power; they have to be a priority, no?”
    “Agreed. We can’t afford to let any food spoil. Martin, can we keep a supply to the freezers and still cut other non-essential services?”
    “Yes, they’re run on a separate supply. They draw a lot of power, but sure, we can keep them running.”
    Jake was scribbling more notes on the surface of the table. He had added two more headings and scrawled vertical lines between them, creating columns for water, fuel, and food. As tasks were assigned, he noted them in the relevant column along with the initials of the person responsible.
    “I know it’s a big job, Silvia, but can you organise some of your people to take an inventory of all the food we have available? Then get the head chef to get a team together and figure out a menu that can feed everyone on board three meals a day for at least the next five days, and still have five days of food in reserve?”
    Silvia whistled through her teeth. “It’s not going to be easy. Five days? With as much again in reserve?”
    “I’m not talking fine dining here. We need basic meals, the minimum required to provide everyone with enough calories to live on. Chef will love it, a new challenge.”
    “Try and work it so that the frozen stuff gets eaten first. Any freezers we can empty, we can switch off,” Martin said.
    “Alright, we’re getting there. This will buy us some time that we can use to work out a longer term plan. I’ll make an announcement, let everyone know what’s happening. Is there anything else we need to deal with urgently?”
    “There is one other matter,” Max said. “We need to deal with the dead. There are a lot of bodies down below, people who got caught up in that dust cloud. Grau’s got them in some kind of chiller, but they’re going to go off pretty quick.”
    “Your suggestion?” Jake feared he already knew the answer.
    “Those bodies should go over the side. It ain’t gonna be popular, I’ll grant you, but for the safety of everyone else, it has to be done.”
    Jake sighed. “No, you’re right. It has to be done. But it should be done with dignity. I’ll announce a service. We’ll get the minister to say a few words, assuming he’s survived.”
    Max rolled his eyes.
    “They’re still people, Max,” Jake said. “Many of them will have relatives who have survived. We can’t just dump them over the side like a sack of spoiled potatoes. They get a proper sea burial, even if the service takes a whole day. And nobody is obliged to attend,” he added quickly. “Max, I need you to do what you do best. Get out and about around the ship, get a feel for the mood. Things are going to be hard going for the next few days. I expect not everyone is going to accept that. We need to be ready for problems before they arise.”
    “You want me doing community policing?”
    “You could call it that, why not. Call it intelligence work if it makes you feel better. You’re head of security and, the way I see it, maintaining the peace is one of the most important things we can do if we are to survive this. But put that weapon back in the locker please, we’re not at war, and I don’t think we need to worry about pirates. Walking