Mission Titanic

by Jude Watson

  “The captain kept the ship at full power even though there were icebergs in the vicinity,” Amy said. “It was common practice; nobody thought an iceberg could sink a ship. The ship was the most expensive ever built and believed to be unsinkable.”

  “It had sixteen watertight compartments that could be sealed off,” Dan said. “It could survive four being disabled. The iceberg destroyed five.”

  “The unsinkable became sinkable,” Amy said.

  “The same reliance on technology that this Titanic has,” Ian said. “So, based on historical record, I’d say we’d be foolish to think this ship can’t blunder into disaster just as well.”

  Amy gazed out at the sea. “It was such an unbelievable tragedy at the time. The ship took almost three hours to sink. That’s a lot of time for people to know that they were facing death. The husbands had to say good-bye to their wives and children and send them into lifeboats … and of course the first-class passengers got a crack at the lifeboats first. So all those third-class passengers and crew knew they were going to drown. There were a thousand people still aboard when the ship went down.”

  Cara shivered. “What kind of monster would wish that kind of disaster on the world again? And why? Just to prove a point? He’s crazy.”

  “He might be,” Amy said. “But he might be after something we haven’t even figured out yet.”

  “Like what?” Dan asked.

  “I don’t know,” Amy said. “But look at us. We’re busy trying to save people. What is the Outcast doing?”

  Ian nodded. “Exactly what I’ve been thinking. But he’s given us no choice. We have to keep going.”

  Cara nodded. “We can’t let it happen again. If the Titanic II sinks, prominent scientists will go down with it. The science of climate change will be set back for decades. Plus the world’s foremost authorities on emperor penguins, volcanology, meteorites, and seals.”

  “Not to mention the president’s adviser on the environment and a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Ian said.

  “And the star of Explosive Action: The Movie,” Jonah put in. “Hey, just saying. It’s the maiden voyage. BOB. Bigwigs on board.”

  “And seventeen science nerds,” Hamilton added as the high school students walked by, talking excitedly and pointing.

  They fell silent as they watched the students. Cara felt something happen in her chest, and then her throat, which meant she was about to humiliate herself by tearing up. She had been trained not to cry by her father, who used to make a clown face and say Look at the ’ittle crybaby while her brother Galt jeered at her. No. She didn’t cry. Not ever.

  It was just that they all looked so … excited and happy. She couldn’t get the image of passengers on the original Titanic out of her head. Standing on a freezing deck while it slanted underneath their feet and the crowds frantically looked for places in lifeboats that weren’t there …

  She looked around at the gang. She saw the same thoughts flickering on their faces. She trusted this group. She’d seen them in action. So, no way would this ship go down.

  Two young men with beards and backpacks passed them, dressed in bright yellow parkas.

  “Scientists,” Jonah guessed.

  “Rollo never showed up in the lobby,” one of them said as they passed. “Said he was waiting for a message and to go on ahead.”

  “He’s been looking forward to this for months,” the other guy said. “Ice algae blooms are so incredibly cool.”

  An SUV started honking as the driver inched forward. They moved aside as the car pulled over. The driver hopped out and began to unload leather duffels and suitcases.

  “Hermès and vintage Vuitton,” Jonah said. “That is definitely not the luggage of a scientist.”

  A man stepped out dressed in faded jeans and a parka. He wore sunglasses, a baseball cap, and sneakers. He was speaking into a phone. “Don’t forget my bottled water!” he barked at the driver.

  “Bingo,” Jonah said. “Hollywood. My people.”

  The man leaned down to help a woman out of the car. She was tiny and seemed to be fashioned out of sinew and air. She was dressed all in black, and large sunglasses concealed much of her face, giving her the look of a giant insect.

  “Janelle Beladon,” Jonah said. “The most elegant woman in the world.”

  “This jet lag is freakin’ killing me,” they heard her say.

  A shower of flashbulbs went off as the movie star headed toward the gangway. A tall, silver-haired man greeted her warmly. He was wearing a white captain’s hat with a gold anchor emblazoned on the front.

  “Peter Zimmer,” Jonah murmured. “Our host.”

  Crew members swarmed over the luggage, tagging and organizing it onto trolleys.

  The man who had been riding in the car with Janelle Beladon caught sight of Jonah. He waved his phone. “Jonah Wizard!” He strode toward him. “This is ultimate good karma, brother! Love it! I am your biggest fan of all time! I’ve been calling your agent for weeks!” He held out a hand. “Lloyd Trueman.”

  “How’s it shaking, bro?” Jonah asked, immediately switching into his fake overdone hip-hop drawl. He bumped Lloyd’s fist instead of shaking his hand.

  “Are you on the Titanic II? Love it! I can pitch you on a film idea — Janelle’s next picture — and she needs a sidekick to bring in the teens. Action movie — a ship gets hijacked in Tierra del Fuego and then gets sucked into a vortex that’s a portal, get it? We open in another world, only it’s in two dimensions, and one is brain waves! It’s like Flat Stanley meets the X-Men. Genius, am I right?”

  “Sounds crazy, bro,” Jonah said.

  “Totes! In a good way. Plus it’s got a great message about humanity, you know? Janelle is very into that spiritual whole-earth thing. It’s a deep story, same guy that did Explosive Action. You’d be perfect for the sidekick. The kid with the troubled past.”

  “We’ve only got one problem,” Jonah said. “I’m not on the ship. It’s full. I just flew down to see if there were any cancellations.”

  “Let me work my connections. I’m buds with Pete. In the meantime, come and have a snack in my suite, meet Janelle. I’ve got kale chips!”

  “Can I bring my posse?”

  “It’s all good!”

  “Flat Stanley meets the X-Men?” Dan murmured.

  “You see what I have to deal with in order to live large like I do?” Jonah muttered through his smile.

  Lloyd greeted Peter Zimmer, who had just finished welcoming a couple with air kisses.

  “Pete, my man! Love the hat!”

  Peter Zimmer touched the brim of his captain’s hat. “Thanks. It would be corny, but I’m wearing it ironically.” It was clear that Lloyd’s “bud” Peter had no clue who Lloyd was. “Welcome aboard! The purser will want to see your tickets just ahead.”

  “No problem!” Lloyd said. “Looking forward to good times. Icebergs, gotta love it! Can you do me a favor and rustle up an extra cabin? This is my homey, Jonah Wizard. He and Janelle go way back.”

  It never failed to amaze Cara how rich and famous people were drawn to each other like moths on a lightbulb. Peter completely ignored the group and turned to Jonah. He bumped his fist in a casual way, as though they’d been friends forever. “So good to see you,” he said. “I’m a fan. You know I’d love to accommodate you, but we are fully booked. I’ll get in touch with my ticket agent and we’ll set you up in a suite for a cruise of your choosing next fall.”

  “Sounds good,” Jonah said.

  Well, that took care of that. No cabin for Jonah. It wasn’t going to be that easy. But Cara hadn’t expected it to be.

  “Got my friends here for a quick send-off in my suite,” Lloyd said. “That cool?”

  “That’s fine. Just check in with the purser; we’ll need their names. Doberman! These guests can come aboard with Mr. Wizard,” Zimmer said to a tall man in a navy suit. “You only have about fifteen minutes,” he warned Lloyd.

  Doberman stepped forward, a tall
, trim officer who looked resplendent in his navy uniform and cap. “Name, young man?”

  “John Paul Jones,” Dan blurted. “These are my sisters, Martha and Abigail.”

  “Chadwick Templeton,” Ian said.

  “My posse from Hollywood,” Jonah said quickly. He put a hand on Hamilton. “And this is H — Sam Holter, my bodyguard.”

  Doberman entered their names. “Enjoy your visit. The all ashore announcement will be in exactly fourteen minutes.”

  Jonah engaged Lloyd in conversation about Explosive Action, and the rest of the gang slipped away.

  Mission accomplished. For now.

  “Chadwick Templeton?” Cara asked Ian. “That’s the fakest fake alias I’ve ever heard.”

  “I went to boarding school with Chadwick,” Ian said. “Nasty guy. Cheated at tennis.”

  They prowled the hallways, trying to look legitimate yet scope out a place to stow away. No more jokes, no more teasing. They moved fast and purposefully, their gazes noting every closet, every common room. There just didn’t seem to be anywhere to hide. They walked through lounges with picture windows and soft sofas and beautiful lamps, through a large, paneled dining room and a book-lined library, even a small theater. The staff was everywhere, briskly walking through the rooms, checking to make sure everything was perfect.

  “We can’t get belowdecks,” Hamilton said after they passed a door marked CREW ONLY. “It’s locked-card access.”

  The announcement “All ashore who’s going ashore” came over the PA system.

  Jonah texted Ian. Cara looked over Ian’s shoulder.

  GOTTA BREEZE BRO. FOUND A CRANNY YET?

  NOT YET, Ian replied.

  TOLD MY MAN LLOYD YOU ALL ALREADY LEFT. HE’LL CHECK YOU OUT WITH THE PURSER. SO BETTER FIND A PLACE TO STOW OR GO ASHORE. THEY’RE CHECKING TICKETS EVERYWHERE. SEE U.

  Cara nudged Ian. A ship’s officer headed down the hallway, checking tickets. They turned and went the opposite way. Ahead of them were the same two young scientists they’d seen on the pier. Cara slowed her steps so that they could eavesdrop.

  “Yeah, Hardcastle never showed up. Weird.”

  “Oh, man. Jumped ship, huh. Tagamayer’s going to bust a gut.”

  “Because Rollo handled the PowerPoint, am I right?”

  “Word. Didn’t he have the cabin right next to yours?”

  “Yeah. At least I won’t have to listen to Iron Maiden in the mornings.”

  “An empty cabin,” Amy whispered.

  Without having to confer, they all spread out, keeping the two young scientists in view. One opened one door, the other the door opposite, and they both walked in. The doors banged shut.

  Ian and Amy were slightly ahead. They hesitated outside the door to the empty cabin.

  A ship’s officer turned the corner. “Can’t master the key card?” He smiled.

  Ian held up a credit card, concealing most of it. “I keep trying, but … These kind folks were trying to assist me.”

  “He thinks it needs a slot!” Amy said. “I tried to tell him it’s a sensor!” She reached out to grab the card, and Ian dropped it. Ham speeded up suddenly and walked by, kicking the card under the door as if by accident.

  “Oops,” he said. “Sorry, dude.” He walked off, whistling.

  The officer winced. “I wish he wouldn’t do that,” he said. “Crew members are a superstitious lot. We think that whistling calls up storms. Never whistle on a boat, young man. Bad enough that we’re on a ship named Titanic,” he muttered.

  “Wouldn’t dream of whistling, no sir,” Ian promised. “But now I’ve lost my key card!”

  “I can help you,” the officer said. “Your name, sir?”

  “Rollo Hardcastle.”

  The officer consulted his tablet. “Yes, Mr. Hardcastle. With the scientific group.”

  Ian ran a hand through his hair, mussing it. “Graduate student in geothermal energy. I know tons about volcanoes, but not much about key card sensors, I’m afraid.”

  Ian was perfect, Cara thought admiringly. He’d transformed himself from a privileged Brit into an addled egghead.

  “Yes. Well, this is a maiden voyage. Bound to be a few mishaps here and there.”

  The officer took his pass card and held it briefly against the sensor. The door swung open.

  “Keep your hands on that card, Mr. Hardcastle. You’ll need it to charge purchases and also to sign in and out when we go ashore in Antarctica.”

  “Absolutely,” Ian promised.

  As soon as he was out of sight, the others turned back and crowded into the tiny cabin.

  Ian turned to Cara. “You have to get off the ship,” he said. “You’ve got to stay in Ushuaia.”

  “Why me?” Cara felt her cheeks go red.

  “Ian is right,” Amy said. “The Internet connection is going to get spotty. We’ve got to have a digital coordinator, and that’s you. You must keep in contact with Nellie and Sammy and any Cahills who aren’t in the Outcast camp. And if anything happens … if we fail …”

  “Failure is not an option!” Ham reminded her.

  “… you’ve got to tell them what happened,” Amy finished.

  Cara felt stricken. Amy and Ian both looked so resolute. They were prepared for anything, she realized. Even not coming back.

  “But …” she started. She tried to find an argument. She didn’t want to leave them. She wanted to say, You’re my family now.

  Aren’t you?

  “It’s an order, Cara,” Ian said.

  “I don’t take orders,” she snapped.

  Amy shot Ian an exasperated glance. She touched Cara’s arm. “We need you to do this. We have to use your skills in the best way possible.”

  It did make sense. She saw that. But why did she feel … abandoned? “I don’t want to!”

  Ian nodded. “I know. Jonah doesn’t, either. But he knows he’s too visible. Better to have two of you ashore. You can help us more there. Cara, you’re the one holding the network together.” His dark gaze was serious. “Each one of us has a job to do.”

  Cara’s anger drained away. She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “I won’t you let down.”

  “You never do,” Ian said.

  Singapore

  That evening at the Chens’, Nellie unwrapped the weapon from her scarf and studied it. It was a steel spear about a foot long, with a menacingly sharp blade on each end. In the center was a rotating ring.

  “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” she said. “What is it?” She held it up.

  “No idea,” Sammy said. “I just know it was almost in your head.” He put his arms around her. “Will you lose all respect for me when I tell you I was scared?”

  “I was scared, too. You almost got yourself killed trying to tackle him.”

  “I wanted to kill him.”

  Nellie rested her head against his shoulder. “He would have killed you.”

  “At that moment, I didn’t care.”

  Nellie drew back. “Sammy, he knew my name.”

  “I know. I don’t like this.”

  “Did you notice that he called us kiddos? That’s what I call Amy and Dan.”

  “Coincidence?”

  “No.” Nellie shook her head. “It was a threat, I’m sure of it. Remember how he emphasized it? He wanted me to know that the inner circle was invaded. There’re only a few people who know I call Amy and Dan kiddos. And I trust all of them.”

  She looked at him worriedly. “It was a threat just as much as the spear was.” She carefully wrapped her scarf around it. “The first thing we have to do is figure out what exactly this is.”

  Sammy suddenly crossed to the window. He motioned to Nellie to switch off the light.

  “What is it?” she whispered.

  “Somebody’s out there.”

  Nellie moved through the dusky room and peered out behind the curtain. The trees and shrubbery she’d admired now seemed treacherous, places for people to hide.

&
nbsp; A shadow moved out from the wall. Nellie tensed.

  But it was only Mabel, a blur of white shirt against dark green.

  Sammy let out a relieved breath and pushed open the French doors. They walked out onto the patio.

  “Mabel!” Nellie exclaimed. “You scared us. What are you doing out here?”

  “Shhh,” she said, drawing them farther into the shadows. “I have to talk to you! Before you go inside. I found something out while you were gone.” Mabel looked around. “I think … I think my parents might be in league with the Outcast.”

  “What makes you say that?” Sammy shot an uneasy glance at Nellie. “I can’t believe it.”

  Mabel’s face grew stormy. “Right. I imagine things. I’m too sensitive. I read too much. I need to calm down and go to my room. I’ve heard it all, Sammy, but I didn’t expect to hear it from you!”

  Sammy took a breath. “Okay. I’m sorry. What did you find out?”

  “I did some investigating on the home computer,” Mabel said. “My mom’s password is so lame — the first two letters of all her kids’ names. I was just nosing around, and, Sammy, there was a file with your father’s name on it!”

  “That makes sense. Our fathers have been friends forever.”

  “No, it’s a work file! From his lab! My dad is in finance. He wouldn’t understand a bunch of science stuff.”

  “Okay. I know my father is looking for investors to seed his new company. He probably sent it to your dad.”

  “But I tracked back in the downloads. It wasn’t him who sent it! Patricia Oh forwarded it!”

  “Patricia Oh!” Nellie exchanged a glance with Sammy.

  “I’m guessing that she’s not friends with your dad,” Mabel said. “It was all these lab notes from some experiments he did on algae fermentation and combustion rates….”

  “For his biofuel research, yes,” Sammy said. “He’s been trying to perfect it for years. He’s written papers that have been published. It’s not a secret.”

  “But this seemed really secret!”

  “And why would Patricia Oh forward it to Mabel’s dad?” Nellie asked.

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Sammy admitted.