The Doomsday Infection

by Lamport, Martin

  The Commander may have a noble, lofty notion of going down with his ship, and of containing the disease, to ‘sacrifice oneself for the protection of the many’. Fuck that, he thought, who did he think he was, Mister Spock? He’d look after number one; it was every man for himself as far as he was concerned. He would get off this crate one way or other. He’d stripped off the suit, when the commander snapped, “What the hell do you think you are doing?” He glared at him and looked him up and down as if he was something he’d found on the sole of his shoe, “Lebec? Lebec. There’s obviously French somewhere in your ancestry, no wonder you’re trying to run away – it’s in your cowardly country’s yellow nature. You sicken me, get out of my sight.” He turned to the African-American Petty Officer. “Arrest that man for dereliction of duty!” he instructed.

  What’s the point? thought the Petty Officer, we’re all going to be dead shortly. He unclipped his sidearm thinking that the brig was below decks which meant leaving the conning tower and maybe, just maybe have an opportunity to escape.

  He grabbed Lebec roughly by the arm. “Come with me you worthless piece of crap.” he waited for Lebec to acknowledge him then gave an over-exaggerated wink. “You’re coming with me.” He manhandled him from the bridge. Lebec played along acting as the cowardly snake, begging for his life.

  They left the bridge and when they were out on the internal staircase, the African-American let go of his prisoner. “Let’s get out of here, pal, before the crack-pot changes his mind.”

  “Thanks buddy,” Lebec said gratefully. “I owe you my life.” He scooted on ahead, as the African-American lumbered down the metal staircase hindered by his awkward hazmat suit.

  Lebec was easily a floor below the petty officer, when he heard the noise of the mob clanging up the metal staircase. He stopped dead in his tracks, looked left and right, up and down, and gulped hard. There was nowhere to run, trapped between the mob and the commander back up in the bridge. His mouth dried and he was in a blind panic, and when the horde approached he shouted. “Up here, this way!” He turned and ran back the way he came now at the head of the mob, and bumped into the petty officer, when they rounded the bend, Lebec shouted. “Get the nigger! He’s one of them!”

  The mob enflamed by the sight of the orange suit, were on the petty officer like a pack of wolves, tearing at the loathed suit, they ripped off his helmet and kicked and punched him.

  A blood lust passed from one man to another and they kicked him mercilessly. A heavy steel toe-capped boot smashed into his mouth and broke some teeth. Blood poured from his nose, and a stubby thumb hooked into his eye socket and popped out an eye, and left it dangling on his cheek.

  Lebec booted him on the side of the head, joining in with the blood lust. The petty officer’s head jolted around, his good eye locked onto his. Lebec felt the hatred slide down his back like an icy hand when the African-American’s head was lifted by the hair, and his throat cut, and then cast aside like an old rag doll, as the mob continued up the stairs led by Lebec. “Charge!” he yelled, and they howled their revenge.

  20:50 PM

  “It’s worse than we thought,” said Quinn Martell to Vice-Admiral Reed, via his smart phone. He paced the corridor along from the Oval Office. He watched as Reed’s face crumpled. “He’s dismissed the Speaker of the House and has surrounded himself with his college buddies and they’re fooling around as if they were holding a frat party, they’re not taking this seriously. Because it’s never happened before, they can’t grasp the fact that we are facing a Doomsday scenario - an extinction level event.

  Vice-Admiral Reed sucked on his teeth. “We’ve got to act fast. You’re on the inside which is good, but you will need back up. If he got the slightest inkling of what we have in mind, well, he’s surrounded by guards sworn to give their lives for the President, they’re utterly devoted to him and would follow his orders to the letter.”

  “Even Hamilton’s?” said Quinn.

  “Most would respect the position of President, if not the man. Who has the military presence to sway the guards?”

  “You, but you’re needed where you are, trying to keep the warmongers under control. There are too many willing to shoot first and ask questions later.”

  “Agreed, but at the end of the day, it’s the Chief Executive that’ll give the order.” He sucked on his teeth again. “There’s only one thing for it. I’ll come join you, before it’s too late.”

  “Thank you, Vice-Admiral. I think this will need someone of your caliber to pull this off.”

  “We must play this carefully, the timing is crucial. Tell no one, we have to act stealthily for this to work. You know, if he gets wind of this what’ll happen?”

  “I’ve thought of nothing else,” Quinn Martell thinned his lips and stiffened his resolve. “I’m prepared to do what is right, no matter what the consequences to myself.”

  “The way he’s behaving at the moment, Hamilton will perceive our actions as traitorous and will put us on trial for treason, can you accept the fact you could go down in history as a traitor?”

  “I’m prepared for that, let’s pray he doesn’t get wind of our intentions.”

  Along the corridor, sat at his desk in the Oval Office President Hamilton had heard every word, watching on a CCTV camera, he grinned to himself and rubbed his hands together in delight.

  21.00 PM

  As the sun dropped below the horizon, the fantail succumbed to the waves as the bottom heavy aircraft carrier sank. The conning tower the only part of the vessel still visible, as huge bursts of bubbling water frothed and foamed all around as the behemoth sank into the murky depths.

  Up at the top of the conning tower, outside the bridge, the commander and three other men, had their helmets stripped from them and were swiftly replaced with a hangman’s noose.

  Lebec was doing his best to play a mess-deck lawyer as they held a kangaroo court. “. . . And are guilty of mass murder, namely the force-feeding of lethal drugs, the killing of your own men, and ordering the locking of doors, trapping the men below decks leaving them to drown and . . . loads of other horrible shit. How do you plead?”

  “I will not dignify that with an answer,” the commander said stiffly.

  “Good, because you’re as guilty as fuck.”

  The ‘court’ cheered their approval and a chant rang up; “Hang the bastard! Hang the bastard! Hang the bastard!”

  “Make him walk the plank, ah har!” suggesting one of the men in his best pirate voice.

  “Keel-haul him!” shouted an ensign.

  “I did it for the good of the ship, for the benefit of -” started the Commander.

  “Hang him from the yard-arm!” yelled a swabbie from the back.

  “What’s a yard-arm?” asked Lebec seriously.

  “What I did,” said the commander. “Has been for the reputation of the navy and the safety of the United States of Ameri -”

  “Aw, shut your yap,” Lebec said in a bored tone, and shoved the commander in the back, sending him to meet his maker.

  “Argh!” screamed the commander as he plummeted over the railing, until the hemp rope snapped tight, but unfortunately did not break his neck, and he dangled from the rope, his legs kicked and twitched and his body spun one way then the next.

  Lebec approached the next condemned man. “How do you plead?”

  “Not guilty.”

  “Wrong answer.” He pushed him from the platform.

  “How do you plead?” he asked the penultimate person.

  “Not . . . not guilty, I only followed orders.”

  “OK, you’re free to go.”

  “Really?” the lieutenant asked in disbelief, as relief surged through him.

  “No, not really.” He sniggered and pushed the lieutenant from the platform.

  “Argh!” he yelled until his rope snapped tight, but the ‘drop’ was too long and the jerk ripped the young lieutenant’s head clean off, his body fell into the ocean, followed by the decapitated
head.

  The conspirators’ whooped with joy at the grisly sight.

  “Whoa!” cheered Lebec. “Did you see that? It ripped the sucker’s head clean off his shoulders.”

  One of his comrades fainted and fell off the platform causing another roar of laughter.

  Lebec pushed the last prisoner off without any preamble as the ocean grabbed the colossal ‘unsinkable’ aircraft carrier in its clutches and dragged it down into the murky depths amidst a sea of bubbling froth.

  CHAPTER 43

  22.00 PM

  In the tiny bedroom of the barge, Sophie snuggled against Luke’s chest, she sighed and stretched, when she heard a thump from above that almost stopped her heart. She lay frozen, trying to think if they had left any clues around to suggest that anyone lived on the barge. She leaned over and extinguished the flame of a small candle, plunging the cabin into darkness, and held her breath when she heard the footsteps on the deck above her.

  She shook Luke roughly. “Wake up,” she hissed. “There’s someone on board.”

  Luke came around slowly, feeling groggy. He shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. “Say that again?”

  “Shush,” she whispered, “Listen? Someone is up on deck.”

  Luke galvanized himself into action, slid out from the comfort of the bed, slipped on his jeans, and placed the pistol down the rear of his pants.

  “Be careful,” she urged as he sneaked up to the door. Luke entered the den and paused by the ladder up to the deck, listening at the hatch. He crept up the wide wooden ladder and peaked out from top.

  The national guardsmen jumped back onto the embankment to join his companion. “Nope, nothing over there apart from a couple of old, stinking hippies.”

  “Yeah, I hate hippies too, stinky soap-dodgers.”

  “Naw, I meant they are real hippies and they’re real dead and stinking. You know, rotting corpses.”

  “Well, something warm-blooded showed up on the drone’s scanner, what led us here.”

  “Sure there is. That.” He nodded at the horse.

  Sophie crept up behind Luke on the ladder and they sneaked out onto the deck where they could see and hear the two young national guardsmen.

  “Well, now,” said the tall, skinny soldier, tickling the horse’s ear and talking to the horse in a warm soothing voice. “We can’t have him keep popping up on the scanner can we now . . .” Quick as a flash he put his pistol to the horse’s eye and fired.

  The gunshot echoed around the canal, sending a few startled birds skyward.

  “Nooo!” shouted Sophie putting her hands to her mouth, utterly unable to believe her eyes, as the horse for a moment appeared uninjured, then with an agonizing high-pitched shriek toppled over.

  The tall national guardsmen turned to Sophie and leered. “Well now, looky here, this could be interesting.”

  He moved towards the barge and as the teenage national guardsman jumped aboard, Luke shot at him from his hiding place, but missed.

  The attack shocked the national guardsman and the gunshot deafened him. He pointed his rifle at Sophie while glaring at Luke with loathing. “Drop it now or I’ll blow her away. Do it, now!”

  Luke moved to comply when Sophie said. “Don’t do it! You know they kill’ll us both.”

  “I mean it," said the national guardsman and he pulled the trigger slowly back.

  “Alright, be cool, man, here,” Luke capitulated, and handed over the pistol. The rifleman motioned with his weapon for Luke to squat on the deck, and then smacked him around the head with the butt of his rifle rendering him unconscious.

  Luke awoke slowly, and saw that the two national guardsmen had discarded their hazmat suits, which had impeded their assault upon Sophie.

  The teenage guardsman threw her down on the deck and ripped open the front of her blouse. She screamed and tried to hold the two remnants of fabric together. The tall skinny guardsman jeered at her protests and egged him on. “Go on, rape the bitch!” he chuckled.

  Sophie struggled with all her might, twisting from side to side to throw off her attacker who mauled her and chuckled. She swiftly brought her knee up into his crotch, making him wince and roll off her.

  The older guardsman became aroused further by her struggling efforts to escape. “Now, darlin’, enough is enough, me and my buddy are having you, one way, or the other. Why not make it easy on yourself?”

  “I’d rather die,” she hissed.

  “OK, your choice.” He picked up his rifle, stood over her and placed the barrel against the bridge of her nose. Sophie stared hypnotically down the barrel of the rifle, and saw the trigger pulled back as if in slow motion, when the soldier was kung fu kicked off balance by Luke.

  The soldier staggered backward and almost fell into the canal. He turned and chuckled when he saw Luke stare at him, challenging him. “Well now, looky here. I might’ve underestimated you.”

  He grinned at his friend who released Sophie and they spread out, Luke had trouble keeping his balance as the trio moved around the deck, dodging the various objects scattered around, plus the two dead hippies, “Give it up, pal,” said the tall skinny national guardsman.

  “I’m gonna kill the pair of you,” Luke told them menacingly, but it only made them guffaw.

  The teenage guardsman charged at Luke, who sidestepped him and put his foot out, tripping the soldier and sending him sprawling with a wail into the canal. However, before Luke could enjoy his small victory, the tall skinny guardsman, leaped on him, and they wrestled to the deck. The national guardsman threw a punch that Luke blocked, then a roundhouse that Luke deflected, he managed to return with an uppercut, stunning the guardsman for a moment, Luke then elbowed him in the throat and tried a forearm smash. The guardsman blocked the badly executed swing, got his breath back and kicked Luke in the shin, making him bend, he then brought his knee up into Luke’s nose, crunching it with a sickening snap. Luke shook his head trying to clear his vision. He threw another punch, but the soldier blocked it, and he managed to get his foot behind Luke’s ankle and pushed him over, the national guardsman’s superior training in unarmed combat had overpowered him and as he straddled Luke he had his ka-bar knife in his hand in a flash.

  He turned it over in his palm so that it glinted in the moonlight and Luke got the message. “Any last requests?” he said.

  Luke gasped and tried to speak but all that emerged from his cracked lips was a hoarse whisper.

  “What’s that?” the skinny national guardsman asked.

  Luke beckoned him closer, and the guardsman put his ear to Luke’s mouth, “I said -” He snapped his head forward and viciously head-butted the national guardsman with a sickening thud. “- Watch out for the head-butt.” Luke rolled from underneath him.

  The guardsman stood groggily with blood flowing from his busted nose. They circled each other once more. Luke led with a sidekick, which the guardsman dodged. He retaliated with a hip-kick and caught Luke in the ribs, and swiftly followed it with an ankle sweep that had Luke on his back. He then stomped down on Luke’s leg with all his might, and heard a satisfying snap as the shinbone snapped, “Argh!” Luke cried out, trying to kick out with his good leg, but falling back in agony.

  The skinny national guardsman towered over Luke on the deck and sneered down at him. “You’re one gutsy bastard, I’ll give you that,” he raised his rifle, when suddenly his eyes flipped open and blood trickled from his lips. Luke could only stare in wonder as the guardsman abruptly dropped to his knees, then fell forwards, to reveal a kitchen knife stuck in his back.

  Sophie’s relief quickly turned to disgust when she realized what she had done – she had taken a human life, but she had saved Luke’s life and that’s what mattered. She sobbed tears of joy, and threw herself into his strong, comforting arms.

  After a moment Luke, yelped, and rubbed his wounded leg. Sophie glanced at it. “It’s broken,” she said flatly.

  “Hey! Hey! What’s going on up there?” yelled the teenage nati
onal guardsman. “Is anyone going to get me out of this stinking water any time soon, huh?”

  Luke crawled over to the edge of the barge to see the teenage guardsman splashing about, treading water. “Where’s Colt?”

  “Was he the tall, skinny piece of piss?” Luke asked matter-of-factly, as if they were two people chatting on a park bench.

  “Whoa, dude, I wouldn’t let him catch you saying that. Hey Colt, Colt, dude?” The teenage national guardsman lost some of his cool, and asked. “Where’s Colt?”

  “He can’t come out to play right now, I’m afraid,” Luke told him.

  “Oh yeah, why not?”

  “He’s come over all dead.”

  “You better not have done anything to him,” he threatened without conviction.

  “I wouldn’t splash around so much if I were you,” Luke told him calmly.

  “What like this?” he said and splashed furiously in the water. “What’re you going to do about it, huh?”

  “Oh, I ain’t gonna do nothing -” Luke said nonchalantly, “- but he might,” he nodded to the triangular-shaped wake caused by the alligator’s snout.

  The teenager splashed noisily, he turned and saw to his utter terror the alligator heading his way. He screamed and thrashed his way towards the embankment, but found the side too steep for him to get out. With sheer determination, he leaped up from the water. He grabbed a handful of leafy grass and dragged himself half out, when he let out a blood curdling howl, as the twelve foot long alligator caught him by the ankle, and eighty needle-like teeth pierced his flesh with three thousand pounds of jaw pressure clamped down on his bone, dragging him back into the murky water. He went to scream once more but only a gurgle escaped from his lips as the alligator bit a chunk from his stomach and blood spewed from his mouth like a tap.

  He flapped his arms as the snapper pulled him below the water, he bobbed back up once more, and then disappeared from view.