were on, and below was the rising water, with fire gracing the top. Balto looked up, and saw his target. Hanging from the floor (now the ceiling) was a metal wheel. It hung ten feet from the catwalk they were on. But how could he get to it? He remembered what Kodi did in the elevator shaft. All he would have to do is jump for it. 'But' he thought 'If I jump over there, I'm not coming back. Plus there's hot steam blowing on the wheel. So, do I stay here and let someone else do it, or do I sacrifice myself so everyone can escape? No question.'

He stepped back and jumped. And he caught it. Hanging from the wheel like Doctor Emmet Brown hanging from the hand on the clock tower, he turned the wheel. Hot steam blowing on his hands, he kept turning, and the bulkhead finally unlocked. But he was still hanging from the wheel, with no way back.

Balto's little gang was shocked. Escape was so close at hand, and their leader was hanging in the air with no way back.

“Go!” he shouted “Save yourselves! This ship is sinking fast! Just get out! The bulkhead is open, all you need to do is enter the tube and you're free.”

“We can't just leave you there!” cried Jenna “You brought us this far. You saved us all, we can't just leave you!”

“Step aside, I'll handle this!” said a voice. It was Luk, one of the engineers. He was carrying a long pole, and he stretched it out as far as it would go, which was, fortunately, ten feet.

“Grab hold Balto! All of you, help me support this!”

Balto held on, and he was brought back across to the catwalk.

“Thank you Luk! Say, where's Muk?”

Luk looked sad. “I don't know. I was knocked unconscious when the ship flipped over. I didn't see him anywhere.”

Balto was about to reply when they heard the sound of engines. The propellers had started running again!

“Oh no!” cried Kodi “Now what do we do?”

Steele said “Maybe we could just throw something in there, jam up the propeller!”

“Actually, no we can't.” said Luk “I've worked on this ship long enough to recognize the sounds of the engine. Those are running in reverse. If you throw anything in there, it'll just fly back at you.”

“Is there any way we can stop the engines?”

“I don't think... yes! You can! There's a small control panel that you can use to run the engines! Only...”

“Only what, Luk?”

He looked down in the water. “It's down there.”

“No big deal,” said Kodi “I'll just swim down, turn 'em off, and come back.”

“No Kodi, you don't understand. To get to that panel is a four minute swim! Anyone who goes down there is not coming back up!”

“Then I'll go.” said Balto “I brought you to these tubes so you wouldn't die on this ship. I'm going.”

“Alright Balto,” said Steele “You go.”

Balto turned around toward the water to prepare to dive, when Steele hit him with Luk's pole.

“Sorry dude, but this trip is mine.” With that, Steele dived into the flaming pit of water.

Balto woke up with a groan. “Uhhh. What happened?”

“Steele hit you with a metal pole.” Jenna told him.

“Ohh, that jerk. Where is he?”

“Um, he, uh, went into the water to turn off the engines.”

“What? He did? Doesn't he know he won't be coming back? I've gotta stop him!”

“No, Balto. He did that so you wouldn't die on this ship! Out of all of us, you deserve to live more than anyone!”

“How long has he been down there?”

“Three minutes.”

Steele finally reached the panel. He began looking for the button to stop the engines. He found it, but screamed in anger. It was broken. He began beating beating the machine, screaming at it. They had made it this far, only for this! He was about to give up hope, when noticed a switch. It was to reverse the propellers!

“Oh please,” he prayed “Let them notice.” He pressed it, then purposefully swallowed a mouthful of water. “If I'm not gonna make it, I just hope it'll be quick.”

The sound of the propellers stopped for a moment, then started up again.

“Oh no. He failed.” said Sylvia.

“No, wait.” Luk motioned for everyone to be silent. “He didn't turn them off, but he reversed the propellers! Now we can throw something in them!”

“Way to go boychick.” whispered Boris.

Kodi grabbed a Hydrogen canister, opened the bulkhead, and threw it in. He ducked away from the opening, and braced himself. There was a loud explosion. The sound of the engines ceased. Kodi looked in, and saw the propeller was gone. Everyone crowded in, and looked out at the water.

“Hey guys,” said Star “What's that?”

“It's a life raft!” shouted Balto “It looks like there's somebody in it!”

“It's Muk!” cried Luk “Come on everyone, jump into the water!”

The all jumped out of the tube, and swam for the raft.

“Howdy everyone!” said Muk “Come on board!”

Then they heard the sounds of helicopters.

“It must be a rescue team!” said Muk “Is there a flare gun on this thing?”

Star found one, and fired it off. The helicopters turned and pointed aimed their spotlights at the raft.

Everybody began cheering. They were rescued! They looked at the Poseidon, and saw it sink the rest of the way into the water.

As they were being put on the copters, Balto asked them “Did you search the outside of the ship?”

“Yes we did.”

“Did you find anyone up at the front?”

“No. Why, did someone go there?”

“Yes, about thirty.”

“If they did, they didn't make it. You're the only ones we saved.”

The End