Time Ship
(Book Two):
A Time Travel Romantic Adventure
By
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IAN C.P. IRVINE
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Published by Ian C. P. Irvine
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Copyright 2013 IAN C.P. IRVINE
Cover Design Ray Luck
[email protected]
The new exciting adventure novel for teenagers and grown-ups where 'The Perfect Storm' meets 'The Philadelphia Experiment' meets 'Pirates of The Caribbean' meets 'Contagion'.
For my friends Brian Patterson, Rudiger Rohloff and Jerome Connor.
Absent but never forgotten. I miss you.
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright observed above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the copyright owner..
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Please note: This is the second book in a two part series. The story begins with TIME SHIP (BOOK ONE) and carries on seamlessly and concludes with TIME SHIP (BOOK TWO). BOOK ONE is currently FREE, so download it now!
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Alternatively, you will have the option to purchase an Omnibus version containing both Book One and Book Two, which readers are recommended to purchase: 'TIME SHIP (Omnibus Edition containing Book One and Book Two)'
Other Books by Ian C.P. Irvine
Haunted from Within
Haunted From Without
The Orlando File
Crown of Thorns: The Race to Clone Jesus Christ
London 2012 : What If?
The Sleeping Truth : A Romantic Medical Thriller
Alexis Meets Wiziwam the Wizard
Please note: This is the second part in the series 'TIME SHIP.' The story below continues on directly from where TIME SHIP (BOOK ONE) finished. If you have not already read Book One, please return to Amazon to find details.
Chapter 24
Aboard the Sea Dancer
8:45 a.m.
Please note: This is the second book in a two part series. The story begins with TIME SHIP (BOOK ONE) and carries on seamlessly and concludes with TIME SHIP (BOOK TWO). BOOK ONE is currently FREE, so download it now!
Sally-Anne Davis, General Manager of the Blue Emerald Bay Resort in Puerto Rico, stared at Dr. Paul Mitchell in total disbelief. He had just revealed that the seamen on board the pirate ship were infected with a virulent strain of pneumonic plague, which if released to the outside world, could potentially wipe out billions.
Several minutes after he had spoken to a doctor in the main hospital in San Juan, the Superintendent of the island had called back, the Superintendent being jointly the director of the Puerto Rico Police, - the highest ranking police officer on the island - , and the Puerto Rico Commissioner of Safety and Public Protection. In essence, his joint roles gave him the responsibility and powers to keep the citizens of Puerto Rico safe and secure.
The conversation had not been a pleasant one. After an initial exchange, Dr Mitchell, the chief doctor in the Blue Emerald resort had given the Superintendent an overview of the situation that was developing, along with his recommendations.
"Superintendent, it is my unpleasant duty to inform you that I believe a virulent form of bubonic plague has been transported to the shores of Puerto Rico on board a pirate ship. There have been two deaths so far, and I am expecting more to follow in the next twenty-four hours. As I believe you know, the Blue Emerald Bay Resort has been captured and taken over by the pirates from the ship, which is now sitting at anchor within the Bay. The pirates have taken the residents of the resort hostage, and are keeping over two hundred of them prisoner in the main restaurant. The pirates are therefore now in contact with most of the residents, however, there will be many that have not yet left their rooms, and I am guessing that as soon as they realise that the hotel has been taken over, they will simply stay and hide there. Which will be a blessing in disguise."
"Bubonic plague is one of three forms of plague that results from infection from a bacterium called Yersinia pestis, the other two being septicemic plague and pneumonic plague."
"Bubonic plague is typically carried by fleas on rodents, in this case probably rats on board the pirate ship. It spreads to humans when the fleas jump on to our bodies and take a bite, passing the infection through the skin. The initial victims are therefore infected by direct contact. They suffer from bubonic plague which is an infection of the lymphatic system, typical symptoms being swollen lymph nodes, or buboes, which you most often see in the armpits and groins of those infected. If the bacteria reach the lungs, a patient will develop pneumonia, an infection of the respiratory system."
"Human to human transmission is then possible, and occurs when those with pneumonia spread the bacteria via their bodily fluids, typically by sneezing or coughing. Others then breathe in the very fine infective droplets in the air, and they too develop pneumonic plague. Some people will also develop septicemic plague which is an infection in the blood stream."
"The airborne transmission of plague resulting in the rapid spread of pneumonic plague can have a very high fatality rate. Notably, I have to report that there have already been two deaths in the crew of the pirate ship from pneumonic plague, and of the other fifteen cases I have counted on the ship, thirteen are pneumonic, one is bubonic and the last is septicemic."
Dr Mitchell had paused for a second, and the Superintendent had immediately interrupted and asked a question.
"Dr Mitchell, is it not true that plague cases pop up all the time in America and Asia? Why is this so dangerous?" he had asked the doctor.
"If not treated in time," Dr Mitchell had replied, "...most cases of plague can be fatal. And yes, every year, hundreds of cases of plague are still reported to the World Health Organization. In fact, cases of plague are still regularly reported even in the U.S. Thankfully, most of these people are diagnosed, and then treated, and the spread of the disease is controlled."
"So, what is the difference here?" the Superintendent asked.
"What I am about to tell you is going to sound very far-fetched, but please understand, that I have to act based upon the possibility, no matter how slight, that this could in fact be real. I will explain why, so bear with me… This morning a ship entered the Emerald Bay. The sailors on board attacked our resort and took it over. They claim to be in search of only food and water. These sailors appear to be dressed as pirates. They act like pirates, and what's more, they claim to be pirates! Incredibly, they say that for them the year is 1699. They are hungry and desperate, and now they are scared. The pirates are frightened by almost everything they see... As I speak to you now, I am with Sally Davis, the General Manager of the Blue Emerald, and we are both aboard the pirate ship. Everything we have seen and experienced since we came aboard would lead us to believe that something very strange is happening, or has happened, and although it makes no sense whatsoever, there is a p
art of me that believes that there could be something to their claims…that they are in fact 'pirates'. And that, therefore, the pirate ship we are now on board, could somehow...and only God Himself knows how this could be possible...could genuinely be from the year 1699. I can hardly bring myself to say it because it sounds so stupid, but that would mean that this ship is over 315 years old."
"Which is ridiculous, Dr Mitchell. We both know that this cannot be, so perhaps..." the Superintendent reacted, but was immediately shouted down by the Doctor.
"LISTEN TO ME!, Mr Superintendent Sir. And please do not interrupt! We are here, you are not. I have examined the bodies of those both dead and alive...there is a LOT to suggest that what seems impossible could in fact be possible. If you will just listen I will explain why this is relevant. If we assume, just for a second, that there is the slightest possibility that a pirate ship, with all of its rats, fleas, humans and associated bacteria have somehow been transported through time to the year 2014, then the ship and its live human and animal cargo here in the Blue Emerald Bay pose a very real threat to the survival of the human race. They are potentially carrying bacteria that no one in the year 2014 may have ever been exposed to. Think for a second...when the Spanish and English originally settled the islands of the Caribbean, and then the American mainland, they brought with them the common cold and other diseases such as smallpox. As a result of the contact they made with the indigenous peoples, most of them were wiped out. Hundreds of thousands, - maybe millions of people died, and in some cases whole cultures were wiped out altogether. It wasn't just the American Indians that were wiped out by the cold they got from the settlers, it was the original Puerto Ricans, South Americans, Jamaicans...everywhere the Spanish and English went, the native inhabitants of those lands got infected and died. In Puerto Rico alone for example, it is estimated that over 90% of the native Tainos died of smallpox in an epidemic the Spanish gifted to them in AD 1518. Of course, in return in partial revenge they also passed their local diseases to the settlers, and a lot of them died too, particularly the first waves of settlers to the United States."
The doctor paused again, taking some deep breathes.
"My point, Mr Superintendent Sir, is that the plague that we have today is different from the plague of four hundred years ago. Our modern bodies will have no resistance to a four hundred year old plague! Even the cold or flu or any other diseases that the men are carrying on their ship will be of a different form or variation from what we have today. Our bodies may also have forgotten how to defend themselves against them. I know rather a lot about the plague because I have personally seen and treated several cases of the plague myself. I can easily recognise the symptoms, and I understand how it progresses. And what I have seen here aboard this ship really scares me."
The doctor paused again, looking out of the window of the cabin onto the calm, turquoise green water of the bay. After a moment, he carried on speaking.
"In the old days - before airplane travel, trains, fast ships and all our other forms of mass transportation - diseases were to a certain extent limited by their own success i.e. in their own ability to spread rapidly and effectively. For example, if a ship called in to a distant port, and picked up a new mutation of a disease, and then the ship set sail again, and the disease spread rapidly throughout the crew, the likelihood is that everyone on the ship would be infected and either killed or cured by the time the ship next docked in port. More often than not, the disease would have long run its course, and the threat it posed as a contagion would have passed. However, nowadays, a person can be infected with Bird Flu, for example, in China just before he steps on an airplane, and within hours he can spread the virus from one continent to many. The petrol engine has given diseases today an almost unnatural ability to spread around the world within days, potentially infecting anywhere from millions to billions of people."
"What I am worried about is that I may be right. I pray that I am wrong. But IF I am right, then we cannot afford to let one infected person on this ship infect a single other person on this island before the disease runs its course. And because we will not know for quite a while who has been infected and when the period of possible infection may be over, we have to ensure that during this period no one from the island of Puerto Rico is allowed to leave the island, and that no one new should arrive." He paused.
"In the best case, and we are successful in containing the disease in the resort and on the island, the death rate will be low. However, if a single infected person with pneumonic plague manages to get on an airplane or a boat and travels to the US mainland, or another continent, there is the possibility that a brand new version of the plague could be unleashed and propagate throughout mankind, where resistance is low, the spread is rapid, and the death total could be unimaginable..."
"Excuse me, Dr Mitchell..." Sally interrupted. "But you've already stated that the plague does exist today on the mainland, and that people can survive it.”
"True, but I also just said that we could be talking about a new version of the plague here, for which immunity is very low, and knowledge of how to treat it is in short supply. But, even if we did know how to treat it, if the plague gets out, and spreads rapidly, within a few days we will run out of medicine and supplies to treat people. The first people to be infected who get drugs may survive, those infected afterwards would just have to take their chances. If the disease spreads as rapidly as it potentially could, the fabric of society as we know it could swiftly unravel... Bubonic plague can be successfully treated with antibiotics if it is diagnosed very early. Pneumonic plague, on the other hand, is one of the most deadly infectious diseases in the world, and patients can easily die within twenty-four hours of infection. The mortality rate depends on how soon treatment is started, but is always very high."
"Anyway, I think I have said enough on this. It is our responsibility to take the appropriate action now, to prevent the nightmare scenario from ever happening. The good news is that if we can control and contain this outbreak within the resort, we will be able to get enough drugs and medicine from the hospitals to help treat those who are infected. The supply of drugs and medication will only become serious IF the disease spreads outside of the resort into the local population. Do you understand, Mr Superintendent?"
There was a pause.
"Yes." he replied, "Yes, I do. What do you recommend we do?"
"Firstly, I recommend that you speak with the Governor of Puerto Rico and get agreement to immediately close the airports. Don't tell the public the truth. Make up some reason...tell them the Blue Emerald Bay resort is under attack from terrorists, if you want, and close all the airspace above the island. Secondly, close all the ports,...in fact do whatever you have to do to enact a complete lock-down on the island, effective until further notice. At the same time, set up a wall of steel around the resort here, and evacuate the nearby locals...anyone within a mile. Shoot to kill anyone who leaves the resort, and don't touch or come too close to the bodies of anyone you kill. Just burn the bodies where they fall. Thirdly, get as many biological protection suits sent here as soon as possible. I will want coffins, petrol to burn bodies, and lots of medicine, as soon as possible. Within the next few hours in fact. I will also need volunteers from medical staff who would be willing to come and help me, knowing full well the risk they run. Fourthly, I need you to contact the relevant health officials in Puerto Rico, alert them to look out for symptoms of plague emerging anywhere else on the island and prepare isolation units, in case it gets out into the general populace. They will also advise you on what medicines to send me. Fifth, you need to immediately contact the World Health Organisation and ensure they understand what is happening here. I'm not an expert. They are. They will be able to advise on what you need to do, and how to do it. Let them take over."
There was silence at the other end of the phone.
"Are you sure about this Dr Mitchell? Are you positive?"
"The answer to your questions are as follows.
Am I sure this is plague? Yes. Am I sure that this could be as deadly as I fear? No. Could it be as bad as I fear? Yes. Am I prepared to gamble with the future of mankind if I am right and I...we...do nothing? The answer to that one is No."
"And the last point, which I forgot to mention, is...," and as he spoke, he turned to the pirate captain so that he could hear what he said, "you have to get the U.S. Navy to put a frigate or a destroyer outside the entrance to the bay. If for any reason the pirate ship attempts to leave the bay, you have to blow it out of the water. No one must escape. We're all in this together now. Either we live or we die, but no one leaves the resort until it's over and the danger has passed. Is that understood?"
The doctor just had time to hear the Superintendent say 'Yes', before Captain McGregor strode towards Dr Mitchell and snatched the cell phone out of his hands. Without a moment's hesitation the Captain stepped forward and threw the cell phone out of the cabin window, watching it fall until it disappeared into the green waters of the bay beneath.
Chapter 25
Aboard the Sea Dancer
9:10 a.m.
Captain Rob turned around and glared at Dr Mitchell, "What have you done? I trusted you and you have just ordered someone to send a ship to fight us? I will have you..."
"You are mistaken, Captain. I have just saved your life. And I will do my best to save the lives of your crew, risking mine in the process and many others too! I do not know if you understood my conversation with the Superintendent of the Police, but suddenly the dynamic of the situation which you started, has now changed. You came to OUR resort looking for food and water. But by being here, your presence could threaten the lives of billions of people on this planet. You now have about thirty minutes before a ship arrives to block the bay. If you chose to leave, I can guarantee that the U.S. military will track you down, and probably within an hour of you leaving the bay, they will sink your ship and kill you all. Even if they were not to do that, this ship is now cursed with the plague, and within three or four days, you will all be infected, and in a week, almost all of your men will be dead. Your only hope is to stay here and work with me, to cooperate with me, and to allow me and the other doctors who will come here, to treat you and save your lives. I do not want to threaten you, but in all honesty you have no choice. I don't think you yet completely understand what has happened to you, or where you truly are. If you are really pirates from the year 1699, then you need friends here to help you survive in this new world, a world of which you have no comprehension. I will allow you to choose your own destiny, but the choice is very, very simple. Work with us, submit to our guidance, and most of you will live. Resist our offer to help, and you will almost definitely all die."
TIME SHIP (Book Two) - A Time Travel Romantic Adventure Page 1