The Swarm

by Frank Schätzing

  That should do it. Now back to Johanson. Once he'd got the Norwegian into the water, Anawak could follow.

  As he straightened up, he saw Greywolf bearing down on him. Vanderbilt went on the attack. He spun round, kicked out his right leg, made contact with his opponent – and rebounded.

  That's not right, he thought, confused. The kick had been enough to make anyone slump to the floor or double up with pain. But the man continued towards him. There was no mistaking the look in his eyes. Suddenly Vanderbilt realised that he had no choice but to win this fight if he wanted to survive. His arms whirled above his head as he prepared to land the next blow. He lunged forward and felt his arm brushed away casually. Then Greywolf s left hand had buried itself in his double chin. Vanderbilt kicked out. Without breaking stride Greywolf shoved him towards the edge, raised his fist and punched.

  Vanderbilt's field of vision exploded. Everything went red. There was a crunch as his nose broke. The next blow shattered his cheekbone. A gurgled scream rose from his throat. The fist rammed into his mouth. His teeth splintered. Vanderbilt was delirious with pain and rage. The giant's other hand prevented him moving. His face was being pulped.

  Greywolf let go and Vanderbilt toppled backwards. He couldn't see much, just a bit of sky, grey asphalt and the yellow markings of the platform, all through a veil of blood. His gun was lying next to him. He reached for it, grasped it, jerked up his arm and fired.

  For a moment it was quiet.

  Had he hit him? He fired again. His arm sagged backwards. He caught a glimpse of Anawak looming above him, then the gun was knocked from his hand and he was looking into Greywolf's eyes.

  Pain rushed through him.

  He wasn't on his back any more, he was standing upright. Or was he hanging upside-down? He couldn't tell. He seemed to be floating. No, he was flying backwards. Through a mist of blood he saw the platform, then the edge of the platform, moving away from him, disappearing into the sky with the nets.

  The cold hit him like a blow. Foaming water washed the blood from Vanderbilt's eyes, as his body dropped into the depths. There was no sign of the vessel, just featureless green, a darkening expanse from which a shadow emerged.

  It was moving quickly. Its mouth opened as it approached.

  Then there was nothing.

  LAB

  'What the hell are you playing at?'

  'Let him go.'

  The words were still echoing in Weaver's head: Peak's horrified question, followed by Li's brutal order. Then the lab shook and heeled. The rumble of the blast was drowned by a cacophony of noises as everything around them toppled and smashed. Weaver was hurled across the room with Rubin. They landed behind a bench in a hail of instruments and receptacles. A thunderous noise swept round the lab. Everything was vibrating. Then they heard glass shattering. Weaver's first thought was for the containment facility. She hoped to God that its hermetically sealed chambers and armoured glass would hold. On her butt, she shuffled away from Rubin.

  She spotted the metal case of test-tubes. It had slid across the floor towards her feet. She and Rubin stared at it.

  There was a brief pause while they weighed up their chances. Then Weaver lunged forward, but Rubin was quicker. He grabbed the case, jumped up and ran towards the back of the lab. Weaver swore, knowing she'd have to leave the shelter of the bench. Whatever was going on around them, no matter what Li was up to, she had to have that case.

  Two soldiers were slumped on the floor. One lay still, but the other was clambering to his feet. The third had kept his balance and was holding his gun at the ready. Li bent down to take the weapon from the motionless body. At the next second it was pointing at Weaver. Peak was leaning stiffly against the locked door. 'Karen,' he shouted, 'don't move. We won't hurt you. For Christ's sake, Karen, don't move.'

  His voice was drowned by the rattle of the gun. Weaver sprang, catlike, behind a nearby cluster of benches. She had no idea what Li was firing, but the ammunition shredded the benches as though they were cardboard. Splinters of glass flew past her head and a hundred kilograms of microscope crashed to the floor. Amid the chaos the alarm buzzed steadily. Suddenly Rubin was running towards her, eyes wide with panic.

  'Mick!' yelled Li. 'Mick, you moron, get over here.'

  Weaver dived out of her hiding-place. She flung herself on top of Rubin and seized the case. Just then the vessel shook again, and the room tilted further. Rubin slid across the floor and crashed into a shelving unit, which toppled over, bombarding him with test-tubes and trapping him on his back. He howled, his arms and legs waving in the air. Out of the corner of her eye Weaver saw Li turn the weapon towards her. The third soldier was leaping over the ruins of the benches. He had one of the enormous black weapons too, and raised it.

  There was nowhere for her to run. She dropped down beside Rubin.

  'Don't shoot,' she heard Li shout. 'It's too-'

  The soldier fired. He missed her. The shots thudded against the deep-sea simulator, making a gong-like sound on the glass. They ploughed straight through the oval window in a single line from left to right.

  Suddenly there was an eerie silence, except for the alarm, which continued to buzz at regular intervals. They all froze and stared transfixed at the tank. Weaver heard a single loud crack. She turned her head and saw fissures spreading through the enormous sheet of glass.

  'Oh, God,' groaned Rubin.

  'Mick,' veiled Li. 'Get the hell over here!'

  'I can't,' he whimpered, 'It's my leg. I can't move.'

  'Too bad,' said Li. 'He's expendable. Let's go.'

  'You can't just-' Peak was cut off before he could finish.

  'Open the door, Sal.'

  If Peak said anything, no one heard it. There was a deafening hang as the glass shattered. Tonnes of seawater spurted towards them. Weaver ran. Behind her a torrent of water raged through the laboratory, knocking down everything in its path.

  'Karen,' she heard Rubin cry out. 'Don't leave-'

  The room was full of spray. She saw Peak limping through the door, followed by Li. As the commander walked out her hand hit a switch on the wall beside the door. Weaver knew what that meant.

  Li intended to lock them inside.

  Water rushed up her back, pitching her forward. She crashed to her knees and scrambled up. She was drenched, but her arms were still wrapped round the case. Panting and trying not to be dragged back by the tide, she fought her way to the door as it started to close. She covered the last few metres in a single bound, glanced off the doorframe and tumbled on to the ramp.

  DECK ELEVATOR

  Greywolf and Anawak helped Johanson to his feet. The biologist was in a bad way, but still conscious. 'Where's Vanderbilt?' he murmured.

  'Gone fishing,' said Greywolf.

  Anawak felt as though he'd been run over by a train. His belly was hurting so much that he could barely keep upright.

  'Jack,' he kept saying, 'Jeez, Jack.' Greywolf had saved him again. It was becoming a tradition. 'How did you get here?'

  'I was a bit short with you earlier,' said Greywolf 'I wanted to apologise.'

  'Are you crazy? You shouldn't be apologising for anything.'

  'Thank goodness he didn't see it that way,' said Johanson, between groans.

  Greywolf's face was waxen beneath the copper-coloured skin. What's wrong with him? thought Anawak. Then his friend's shoulders slumped and his eyelids fluttered…

  Suddenly he noticed that Greywolf's T-shirt was covered with blood. For a moment he allowed himself to believe it was Vanderbilt's. Then he saw that the stain was growing bigger – blood was spilling from his stomach. The ship was rocked by another blast and Johanson stumbled into him. Greywolf tipped forwards and disappeared over the edge.

  Jack!' Anawak dropped to his knees and slid over to where Greywolf had been standing. He was caught in one of the nets, gazing up at him. The waves crashed below. Jack, give me your hand.'

  Greywolf didn't move. He stared up at Anawak, pressing his hands to hi
s belly. Blood welled through his fingers.

  Vanderbilt. The bastard had shot him.

  'It's going to be OK, Jack.' Words from a movie. 'Give me your hand. I'll pull you out of there. We can do it.'

  Johanson crawled to the edge. Lying flat on his belly, he tried to reach down into the net, but his arms weren't long enough.

  'You need to pick yourself up,' Anawak said. Then: 'Stay there, Jack. I'm coming down. I'll push you up, and Sigur can drag you from above.'

  'No,' said Greywolf.

  'Jack…'

  'It's better this way.'

  'Don't talk like that!' Anawak snapped at him. 'I don't want to hear any of that Hollywood shit about not worrying about you and leaving you to-'

  'Leon, buddy.'

  'Jack! I said no!'

  A thin ribbon of blood trickled out of Greywolf's mouth. 'Leon…' He smiled. All of a sudden he seemed to relax. He sat up with a jerk, rolled towards the edge of the net and splashed into the waves.

  LAB

  Rubin couldn't see or hear. Water from the tank swirled over him. He wondered what on earth had happened in the last few seconds. Then he felt the raging mass of water lift the shelving unit off his leg. He rose, spluttering, to the surface.

  Thank God for that, he thought. At least the worst is over. The tank held a hell of a lot of water, but not enough to flood the lab. Once it had spread out, it wouldn't come higher than a metre.

  Where was Li?

  The body of a soldier was drifting alongside him. Another picked himself up from the water in stunned confusion.

  Li was gone.

  She'd abandoned them.

  Rubin looked at the water, then at the door. His mind cleared. He had to get out of there. There'd been an explosion on the vessel, and they were probably sinking.

  He was about to stand up, when the laboratory started to glow.

  Light flashed.

  It wasn't only water escaping from the tank. He tried to get up, but skidded and fell backwards. His head disappeared under water. He paddled with his hands to steady himself, and met with resistance. Something smooth. It was moving.

  Lightning flashed in his eyes, then his mouth was sealed as a film of jelly spread over his face. Rubin tore at it, but his fingers kept sliding off As soon as he touched it, it morphed or dissociated. New tissue formed in its place.

  This can't be happening, he thought. No!

  He opened his mouth and felt the substance glide inside. He was crazy with fear. A thin feeler snaked down his throat, while other tendrils invaded his nostrils. He retched, flailing wildly and rearing up in the water. The pain was unbearable, as though instruments of torture were being inserted inside his skull. In a final moment of clarity he realised that the jelly was inside his brain.

  Ever since the incident on the well deck, Rubin had been wondering whether it was strategic intention, mere curiosity or a primeval drive to crawl inside whatever looked interesting that led the yrr to explore the human brain.

  Now he would wonder no more.

  GREYWOLF

  He felt peace. Utter calm. That probably wasn't what Vanderbilt had felt. Vanderbilt had been afraid. His death had been brutal, and rightly so, but it was different without fear.

  Greywolf sank into the depths. He held his breath. Despite the terrible pain in his guts he was determined not to breathe out. Not because he thought he could lengthen his life. It was a last exertion of will-power, a final act of self-control. He would determine when the water should enter his lungs.

  Licia was down there. Everything he'd ever wanted, everything he'd valued, was under water. It was only logical that he was on his way there too. It was time for him to go.

  Live a good life, and one day you'll come back as an orca.

  He saw a dark shadow flit through the water above him. Then another. The whales paid him no attention. That's right, thought Greywolf, I'm your friend. You won't hurt me. He knew, of course, that the real explanation was more prosaic. They hadn't noticed him. Orcas like those had no friends. They weren't even orcas any more. They had been subjugated by a species that was as ruthless as mankind.

  But some day it would be OK again. The time would come. And then Greywolf would become an orca.

  He breathed out.

  PEAK

  'Are you completely insane?' Peak's voice reverberated in the tunnel. Li sped ahead of him. He tried to ignore the throbbing in his ankle and keep pace with her. She'd abandoned the machine-gun and was carrying her pistol.

  'You're starting to get on my nerves, Sal.' Li headed for the nearest companionway. They climbed in single file to the level above, where a passageway took them to the restricted area. From the bowels of the vessel came the sounds of destruction. There was another explosion. The floor shook and tilted, forcing them to pause. The bulkheads must be giving way to the pressure. Now the Independence was at a noticeable angle. The passageway became an uphill slope. Men and women streamed out of the control room, running towards them. They looked at Li expectantly, awaiting her orders. Their commander strode past.

  'On your nerves?' Peak blocked her path. His horror was turning into blind rage. 'You can't just go around shooting people or having them killed. For Christ's sake, Li, it's uncalled for. We never planned it this way. No one agreed to this.'

  Li's face was calm, but her blue eyes were flicking back and forth. Peak had never noticed that before. Suddenly he knew that this highly intelligent, well-educated, distinguished general was mad.

  'Vanderbilt knows,' she said.

  'You cleared it with the CIA?'

  'With Vanderbilt of the CIA.'

  'So you and that scumbag agreed to this lunacy?' Peak's lips curled in disgust. 'Well, it makes me sick. Right now we should be helping to evacuate this vessel.'

  'We've got presidential approval,' Li added.

  'Yeah, right.'

  'Or as good as.'

  'Not for this. I don't believe you.'

  'Well, I know he'd approve it.' She pushed past him. 'Now, get out of my way. We're running out of time.'

  Peak rushed after her. 'But these people have done nothing wrong. They risked their lives by joining this mission. They're our allies. Arrest them if you have to, but don't kill them.'

  'They're either with me or against me. Can't you see that, Sal?'

  'Johanson wasn't against you.'

  'He was against me from the start.' She spun round, glaring up at him. 'Are you blind or just stupid? Don't you understand what will happen if America doesn't win this war? Another state's victory is America's defeat.'

  'But this isn't about America! It's about the world.'

  'America is the world.'

  Peak stared at her. 'You're crazy,' he whispered.

  'No, just realistic. And it's about time you did as you were told. You're under my command.' Li walked off 'Come on. We've got a job to do. I need to be in that submersible before this ship is blown to pieces. Help me find Rubin's radioactive torpedoes. Then you can do as you like.'

  VEHICLE RAMP

  Weaver couldn't make up her mind which way to run until she heard voices coming from the ramp. Li and Peak had vanished. They were probably on their way to Rubin's lab to fetch the contaminated pheromone. She ran to the next bend in the tunnel and saw Anawak and Johanson at the entrance to the hangar deck, each propping up the other, about to head down.

  'Leon!' she cried. 'Sigur!'

  She ran forward and threw her arms round them. It meant a pretty big-stretch but she needed to hold them both. One especially. Johanson grunted in pain. She jerked away. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I-'

  'It's OK.' He wiped the blood off his beard. 'The spirit is willing but… Anyway, what's going on?'

  'Whatever happened to you?

  The deck rumbled beneath their feet. The Independence's hull gave a drawn-out squeal. The hangar bay tilted another degree towards the bow.

  Hurriedly they swapped accounts, Anawak still in shock from Greywolf's death. 'Does either of you know what's
happening to the ship?' he asked.

  'No, but I don't think we've time to worry about it.' Weaver glanced round. 'I'd say we've got two urgent jobs to deal with: stopping Li getting into that sub, and somehow getting out of here alive.'

  'You think she'll stick to her plan?'

  'Of course she will,' Johanson growled.

  Noises were coming from the flight deck above them. They heard the thump of rotors. 'Do you hear that? The rats are deserting the ship.'

  'But what's come over her?' Anawak shook his head uncomprehendingly. 'Why would Li kill Sue?'

  'She did her best to kill me too. She'd shoot anyone who stands in her way. She never intended to negotiate peacefully.'

  'But what's she trying to achieve?'

  'It doesn't matter now,' said Johanson. 'Her schedule will have moved forward dramatically. Someone's got to stop her. We can't let her take that stuff down there.'

  'No,' said Weaver. 'We need to take this stuff down there instead.'

  For the first time Johanson noticed the case in Weaver's hand. His eyes widened. 'Is that the new batch of pheromone?'

  'Sue's legacy.'

  'But how's that going to help us?'

  'I've had an idea.' She hesitated. 'God knows if it'll work, though. I thought of it yesterday, but somehow it didn't seem viable. I guess things have changed.' She summarised.

  'Sounds promising,' said Anawak. 'But we must act fast. We may have only minutes. We need to be out of here before the ship sinks.'

  'But I don't know how we can do it in practice.'

  'Well, I do.' Anawak pointed down the ramp. 'We need a dozen hypodermic syringes. I'll fetch them. You two go down and take care of the submersible.' He thought for a moment. 'And we'll need… Do you think you'll find someone in the lab?'

  'Sure. No problem. But where are you going to get syringes?'