With a soft click, the backup generator engaged itself. Light slowly flooded the cramped, metallic room. Mark squinted as his eyes readjusted to the new light. He looked back up at the station�s control panel. What it said wasn�t very comforting. Life support was failing in several rooms, the station was slowly flooding from the bottom up, and main power was completely off-line. To top it all off, there was only about twenty minutes of oxygen left in the entire underwater research station. Just enough to wake everyone, gather essentials, and get out. Wasting no time, Mark bolted out of the room and into the hall, heading towards Marie�s quarters.

As he ran, he could hear the station groaning. The thick metal plating of the station�s hull was all that stood between them and the immense pressure of the waters of the Marianas Trench, and wouldn�t be able to hold for much longer. The dim lighting in the halls slowly faded on and offas Mark ran, making him feel a little disoriented.

At last, he reached Marie�s room and began pounding on her door, shouting, �Marie! Wake up! We gotta get outta here!� About the third time knocking, the hatch opened, and a sleepy Marie stuck her head out. She asked what was going on, and Mark quickly explained. She stood in disbelief. Mark decided they didn�t have any time to waste, so he pulled her out of her room and began pushing her down the hall, trying to further explain on the way to Jake�s room.

On the way, the two suddenly burst through a hatch and stopped dead. Just down the stairs in front of them, water had flooded the passageway. This wouldn�t have been a problem, except for the live wire which dangled from the ceiling and into the water, sending several thousand volts coursing throughout the pool. Mark groaned again. Marie screamed.

Mark took a minute to think over the situation. Then, he took a deep breath, grabbed one of the pipes on the ceiling overhead, and began to swing out over the water. Marie just watched in worry as he swung over to the hatch at the end of the twenty foot hall. When he reached the end, he swung his foot into the door panel and opened the hatch. The water gushed quickly down the hall, until there was no more left. Mark then dropped to his feet and relaxed his arms.

No sooner had Mark dropped then Jake emerged from his room. He asked what was going on. Mark and Marie filled him in as best as they could. When they told him he had to evacuate, his eyes widened. He bolted through the other door and began to climb the ladder up to the research lab. They followed as fast as they could, explaining on the way.

The three quickly reached the lab and burst in. Jake immediately trotted over to his computer and began loading all of his data onto CD�s. Mark yelled, �Remember, we�ve only got about fifteen minutes left, so only get the essentials. The rest we�ll have to abandon.� Marie set herself to work, gathering data, printouts, and assorted readings. Mark began copying his data off of his lab computers. �We�ll get as much as we can, then head for the escape pod at the top of the station,� he continued.

About ten minutes later, three very tired, cold, and short-of-breath scientists had finished gathering their data. Marie had finished first and had been lending Mark a hand. Mark wiped his forehead with his free hand, then checked his watch. With sudden energy, Mark shouted, �Time! We gotta go!� Marie looked up from what she was doing at Mark. They both turned to look at Jake, who was still hard at work and appeared not to have noticed.

Marie shouted, �Jake, let�s go!�

�Just another minute,� Jake retorted.

�Jake,� Mark snapped, �now!�

Jake appeared more distraught than ever. �Will you just give me one more minute? This data is crucial to my research!� he barked.

�Forget the research, Jake!� Mark ordered. �If we don�t get out now, none of this research will survive!�

�I�m telling you, I�m not leaving without this data!� Jake yelled angrily. �Without these charts . . .�

�And I�m telling you that if you don�t get away from that station right now I�m gonna drag you all the way to the escape pod,� Mark threatened.

Jake stopped, and turned to look Mark right in the eye. �I don�t think you understand . . .�

�No, I think you don�t understand . . .� Jake countered.

Oblivious to the two arguing, Marie suddenly heard a crisp snap, followed by a low groaning sound. She watched in horror as the metal wall of the lab began to slowly bulge inward. She shielded herself with her arms as she backed towards the hatch. She tried to yell a warning to the other two, or at least scream, but only sound that came out of her mouth was, �Ah . . . ah . . . ah . . .�

The argument was rudely interrupted by a loud thud as the bulge doubled in size. It was enough to catch Mark�s attention. He and Marie grabbed their articles and ran out the hatch, into the hallway, then turned as soon as they realized that Jake wasn�t following them. Mark tried one last time, calling, �Jake, c�mon! That wall�s gonna give any second now!�

Jake stalled, saying, �I�ve almost got it! Just one more second!�

Mark protested, �Jake, there�s no time! You . . .�

His statement was cut short as the wall suddenly burst. Water gushed through the gaping hole, ripping the wall apart even further. The watery blast hit Jake square in the side, lifting him off his feet and slamming him into the wall with incredible force. Marie tried to jump in after him, but Mark�s reflexes stopped her. He hit the door panel, shutting the hatch. Marie struggled to get past Mark, screaming, �Nooo! You�re gonna kill him! You�re gonna kill him! Let me in!�

Mark argued, �It�s too late! He�s already dead! If we open this hatch, it�ll kill us both.�

Marie disbelieved him, shouting, �No! It�s not too late! He�s still alive! Open the hatch! Open the hatch!�

Mark grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and said, as calmly as possible, �Marie. It is too late. He�s gone. He made a bad choice, and he�s gone.� Marie relaxed a little, and started to cry. Mark continued, �Now, this hatch isn�t going to last much longer. I know you�re tired, and cold, and about to blow you�re top, but don�t let that cloud your judgement. Don�t make another bad choice.�

Marie slowly managed to calm herself down. Mark asked if she was ready to go. She nodded through her tears. Mark let go of her and began walking her down the curving hall towards the escape pod.