Chapter Forty-Four: Out of Options (Part One)

Tsunami! The thought jolted through Zhao Li’s mind like a lightning bolt. The tremor just now must have been the shockwave from an undersea quake reaching them. Even though this offshore prison platform was equipped with a magnetic levitation system designed to minimize the effects of vibrations, the violent rocking they’d just endured spoke volumes about the intensity of the earthquake beneath the sea.

And the tsunami spawned by the quake would send waves towering over a hundred meters high—this small platform didn’t stand a chance. The first thought that flashed through his mind was escape. As soon as the idea surfaced, the major had already begun to announce, “There’s no other way. We must leave here and head for our logistics base. The elevation there is higher and should be able to withstand the waves.”

“Have the rescue warships from the barracks launched yet?” Zhao Li blurted out, unable to restrain himself. The survival of everyone here was at stake. As soon as he voiced his question, the others immediately started clamoring.

“Unfortunately, there’s only one warship at the barracks, and the warden took it for his official business. In other words, there are no rescue warships available.”

All the guards here, Zhao Li included, each had a personal flyer. For them, safety wasn’t really a concern. The real question was what to do about the prisoners locked inside.

“Why weren’t we alerted in advance? Do those earthquake forecasters do nothing all day?” someone shouted, voicing the frustration that was on everyone’s mind.

“Now isn’t the time to assign blame. What are we going to do about this situation?” The major rapped his knuckles impatiently, bringing everyone’s attention back to the prisoners.

The recent alarm had been about this very issue. The tsunami would reach them in just half an hour. Even with a rescue ship, it was uncertain whether it could arrive in time.

The heart of the dilemma was twofold. First, should they abandon the prisoners under these circumstances? And second, if they didn’t, what measures could they possibly take? The situation demanded a swift decision—whether to save or to abandon, someone had to make the call.

If the old warden were here, he’d make the decision without hesitation. But as fate would have it, he was away on official business. Zhao Li couldn’t help but suspect that the warden had orchestrated this scenario to rid himself of the prisoners.

But on second thought, that seemed unlikely. The warden could have dealt with them at any time; why go to such lengths? No, this was a pure natural disaster.

With no rescue warship, only the personal flyers remained, each with a maximum load of 120 kilograms—barely enough for one person. Even if they could double up, each round trip would take at least eight hours, which meant at most a dozen could be saved. What about the rest?

And if the prisoners found out about the situation, would they fight each other for the slim chance at rescue? The resulting carnage might rival the devastation of the waves themselves.

No one dared to make the decision. All eyes turned to the major, who had temporarily taken over the prison. He must have cursed his luck a thousand times—why did this have to happen on his watch?

No matter how things turned out, he’d be held responsible for any casualties. Making the decision alone was a burden too heavy; better to let everyone share the guilt.

“Let’s vote!” he declared—the surest way to spread the responsibility. Whether they chose to save or abandon, the decision would be collective; no one would bear the blame alone.

“All in favor of abandoning the prison and leaving, raise your hand!” The major was decisive; he raised his own right hand as he spoke, not hesitating in the face of no alternatives.

“Isn’t there any other way?” someone asked. Zhao Li had wanted to ask, but was a step too late.

“Sorry, there isn’t. If there were, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.” The major shook his head, his tone grim as if pronouncing a death sentence. “You know the security protocols here—there’s no other option. Unless you have a plan?”

If there was a way, who would want to shoulder this guilt or commit such an atrocity? While none of the prisoners were good men, they hadn’t been sentenced to death. They still had the right to live. To abandon them now felt unbearable, especially after so much time together.

But this was the highest-security military prison. Even the guards had to fly in themselves; there were no other means of transport, only the personal flyers.

There were a few life rafts and some rowboats—emergency equipment meant to prevent escapes by sea. To rely on those to flee the tsunami’s reach was pure fantasy.

Damn the earthquake. Damn the seismologists. Everyone could only curse those responsible in their hearts, for there was nothing else to be done.

“Does anyone have an idea?” the major asked again. This time, no one answered; there was only silence. It wasn’t a matter of unwillingness, but of utter helplessness.

“In that case, all in favor of abandoning the prison, raise your hand.” The major’s hand went up once more. With someone leading, others followed. In times like this, self-preservation came first.

Zhao Li’s mind churned in turmoil. What to do? What to do? He was so anxious he didn’t even hear the major’s final proposal. His lips trembled, words caught in his throat, a cold dread sinking into his heart. Was there truly no other way?

Damn it, why build such a high-security prison so far from land? Why did the warden have to be away these two days? Why is there only one rescue warship on this entire planet? Why rely on personal flyers instead of a supply ship? Why did the tsunami have to strike today? Why did the earthquake forecasters fail to give warning?

A cascade of questions left Zhao Li burning hot and cold, sweat pouring down his face. What to do? What to do? Was there really no other way? What on earth should he do?

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A bit late—thank you all for your understanding!
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