Mission Critical: Race Against Time - Prologue

The pool deck had been buzzing with activity all morning. The warm Mediterranean sun bounced off the water, the gentle breeze creating little waves that splashed against the sides of the pool. Out here, far from the land Sophie had wanted to escape, the sea stretched endlessly. It was like they were the only people there. Despite the noise of the ship, it was strangely peaceful. For the first time in months, she felt free. She had chosen the cruise for Lyla, her daughter. It was a little adventure before everything changed. Before school uniforms and early morning routines would become the norm. Lyla was only four, still small enough to reach for her mother’s hand without thinking twice, still young and innocent enough to see the world as bright and endless. Sophie had wanted to hold onto that for as long as she could. And out here, for a little while, it felt like she had.

Lyla loved it here. She moved through the deck like she belonged to it, barely still for more than a second. Darting between loungers, stopping to dip her hands into the pool before running off again, her laughter not stopping for a moment. Every few minutes she would glance back, making sure Sophie was still there, flashing a quick grin before finding another deck chair to run around or another toddler to chase. There had been nothing wrong with her. Nothing that mattered, anyway. Maybe she’d been a little quieter the night before. A little more tired. She hadn’t eaten much of her dinner, pushing her food around the plate before declaring she wasn’t hungry. But that was easy to explain. The late nights, too much sun, too much excitement. Sophie had noticed it of course, but Lyla had still woken up full of energy, still begging to go straight back to the pool deck, still pulling at Sophie’s hand until she gave in.

It was 10am when Sophie got up to the pool deck. The sun was high overhead now, the heat pressing down onto the open deck. Towels were draped over chairs, drinks half-finished and sweating in the warmth. At one end of the pool, a child shrieked as they jumped into the water, followed by a chorus of laughter. This was turning into another normal day on the ship. Sophie found an empty deck chair and eased herself down into it, stretching her legs out, letting the warmth settle into her skin. She picked up her book, flicking it open where she’d left off. Sophie turned a page, shifting slightly in her chair, the breeze brushing lightly across her skin. She could hear Lyla’s laughs as she ran between the chairs, chasing another child. Then, it went quiet. Sophie looked up, she saw Lyla, sat by the pool, playing with the water. She turned her eyes back to her book. She didn’t need to watch her closely. Not here. Out here she was safe.

Sophie looked down at her watch. Twenty minutes had gone by, and Lyla hadn’t come back to see her. Not even a quick stop for a sip of her drink. This was unusual. Sophie looked up from her book, but Lyla was nowhere to be found. She had been near the edge of the pool, talking to another little girl. Sophie assumed they must have gone to the end of the pool, and she might not be able to see her. ‘Lyla?’ Sophie called softly. Lyla might not be far away, but she just wanted to know she was safe. She looked towards the pool. The shallow end. The steps. The group of small children playing near the middle. A feeling of unease hit her. She lowered the book slowly. ‘Lyla?’ she called again, her voice trembling slightly. Nothing. Now Sophie was standing, scanning each area carefully, her eyes darting around the pool. The noise of the other guests seemed louder now, harder to block out, harder to make sense of. She moved forward, weaving between deck chairs, her eyes darting from one small figure to the next, desperately looking for Lyla. Then she saw her. Sophie’s chest tightened. For a second, she couldn’t breathe.

At the far side of the pool, partially hidden by a row of chairs, Lyla was lying on her side, her cheek pressed against the hot surface. For a second, Sophie didn’t understand what she was looking at. ‘Lyla!’ she screamed. She was running before she even realised, people turning as she pushed past them. The sounds of the deck blurred, distant and distorted. It was like there was no one else there. She dropped to her knees beside her daughter. Lyla’s eyes were half open, but they weren’t seeing anything. ‘Lyla, sweetheart, can you hear me?’. But Lyla did not respond. Her skin felt warm, too warm. When Sophie turned her gently onto her back, Lyla didn’t react. Her body moved like a doll that she played with, as if she wasn’t there. ‘Can someone help me…anyone…hey…anyone?’ Sophie’s voice cracked as she looked up, panic breaking through. People were gathering around her now. Watching. Someone reaching for a phone, desperately calling the crew. Another already moving closer. ‘Lyla…Lyla look at me’ Sophie begged, her hands shaking as she brushed hair from her daughter’s face. ‘Come on sweetheart, open your eyes’. Lyla’s chest rose. She was breathing. Barely.

A crew member pushed through the forming crowd, their hand gripping their radio. When he saw Lyla, his face changed. ‘We need the doctor to the pool deck…now’ he said, the panic in his voice showing through. He dropped to one knee beside Lyla, his eyes scanning her quickly. ‘What happened?’ he asked, trying to sound brave, but the tremble in his voice said otherwise. ‘I don’t know,’ Sophie said, shaking her head, words coming out as stutters. ‘She was fine, she was just playing…’. Lyla made a faint sound. Her eyes flickered for a moment, unfocused, then drifted again. She was alive, but barely. ‘I just found her…I just…’ Sophie’s voice broke. Panic was setting in. Her hands were shaking; she felt her head spinning. Thoughts raced through her head so fast she could barely think. ‘Okay…Okay.’ He nodded, moving to Lyla’s side. ‘We’ve got help coming’ he said confidently, looking back towards the stairs that led up to the pool deck from below. He pressed his fingers lightly against Lyla’s wrist. He found a pulse. It was weak but it was there. And then, just for a moment, his expression changed. A small amount of relief. Around them, the noise of excitement had been replaced with the quiet murmurs of worry. People weren’t relaxing anymore. They were watching, waiting. They all knew, instinctively, that something was wrong.

The quiet around them gave way to a thunder of boots on the ship’s deck. The crowd parted and the crew member gave a sign of relief. It was the ship’s doctor, followed closely by a nurse and another member of the crew. He dropped beside Lyla, his eyes looking her over from head to toe. ‘What have we got?’ he asked, his voice calm but authoritative. ‘Four-year-old female,’ the crew member replied. ‘Found unresponsive. Breathing shallow. Unknown cause.’ The doctor nodded once. ‘Lyla,’ he said firmly, tapping her shoulder. ‘Lyla, can you hear me?’ Lyla grunted, her body still wasn’t moving. Sophie watched his face, searching for something, anything, that might tell her this was going to be okay. But there was nothing, just a clear, unbroken focus on the job at hand. ‘Get me the oxygen cylinder,’ he said sharply. The nurse turned and ran off, her steps pounding against the deck. The doctor glanced up briefly, his eyes flicking across the deck, then out towards the open sea, the same emptiness Sophie had come here to embrace. Now it felt different. It felt too empty. He looked back down at Lyla, his jaw tightening. ‘Let’s move,’ he said, the urgency in his voice cutting through the tension. ‘We don’t have time to wait.’