Leviathan egt-4

by David L. Golemon

  "Stand by to secure hangar doors. All hands make ready for submerged operations."

  Garrison Lee leaned on his cane as Alice placed one of her hands on top of his and watched the sunlight of the outside world be slowly shut out. The giant doors hissed closed above them with a finality that made Alice cringe slightly.

  Sarah watched the crew members around them as they secured the tilt-wings to the hangar deck with long nylon straps, using come-alongs to tighten them to piano-wire tightness. Arrayed along the wall were projected and enhanced electronic readouts displaying the exact weight of what was carried in the hangar. She was amazed that an object that could travel under the sea could tolerate such weight, as it had to be a hindrance to their speed. She was also amazed at the ethnic makeup of the crew; black, white, Asian, and others worked together side by side with children not more than sixteen.

  The tall man was again watching them.

  "If I may ask, what is your function aboard this vessel? Or are you just the resident killer and kidnapper?" Niles asked as he rolled down the sleeves of his white shirt. The eyes behind his glasses held firm against the glare from the tall man.

  He smiled at last — a cold, mean-spirited smile.

  "I follow my orders. However, I am the resident security specialist and special forces commander for Leviathan—Sergeant Tyler, Benjamin Tyler. And if I hadn't been good at what I do, the people back at your ridiculous little complex would be burying quite a few more associates today." Tyler gestured toward a young woman who was standing by at one of the larger consoles awaiting his orders.

  They watched as the young woman walked over. She was dressed in a red shirt and blue shorts, different from the hangar deck crew who wore blue jumpsuits, not unlike the military members at the Event Group. Her brown hair was braided — coiling around both ears — and her smile was genuine. Her eyes were deep and dark blue, with a ring of soft silver around the pupils. She was an amazing-looking girl.

  "This is Yeoman Felicia Alvera. She will show you to your quarters so you may rest and change clothes. We are conducting operations this afternoon, so your lunch will be served in your staterooms. The captain sends apologies."

  "When you say operations, you mean attacking merchant shipping and killing more innocents?" Niles asked.

  "Is there such a thing as innocence in your world, Doctor? Even in this world we have our faults, and at times, very little innocence." Tyler turned and strode quickly away.

  "I must apologize for the sergeant. He has his manner; that's why we don't allow him out very much," the yeoman said, smiling. She saw her humor did not sit well with Leviathan's new guests, so she cleared her throat and gestured to her right. "If you'll follow me, please."

  Niles allowed the senator and Alice to fall into place behind the woman so he could assist the former director if he needed it. Virginia, unusually quiet, stepped up and took Niles by the arm as if fearful of something or to keep Niles in check with his insults, he wasn't sure.

  "After you, dear Sarah," Farbeaux said with a wave of his arm.

  "Colonel, just because there are no armed guards on us does not mean we are not being watched."

  "I've already spotted ten security cameras, my dear, and they are tracking us, indeed. Someone is quite interested in our little group."

  Sarah just realized who it was she had given the warning to. This man had a sense about him that others could only dream of. He was a survivor beyond measure and a master predator. She decided she would keep close to Henri Farbeaux. She took his arm to steady him and they followed the others.

  The group stepped into a plastic-lined, carpeted elevator that blended well with the bulkhead. The yeoman waited until all were inside and then said aloud, "Deck ten."

  As the elevator doors closed silently, they all felt the movement of the car. In just about ten seconds, they felt the elevator glide to a soft stop, then another strange feeling began and that was when they realized they were moving horizontally. They followed their progress on a multicolored chart on the wall that depicted their car moving at a rapid gait along a multitiered grid. The elevator traveled another thirty seconds and then stopped. The doors slid open with only the slightest hiss.

  "Deck ten."

  Sarah looked at Alice and Virginia as the computerized female voice controlling the elevator announced their deck.

  "Is that—?"

  "If not, she has a sister," Niles said as he commented on the computer-controlled voice. They were all startled when they realized it had the same sexy and embarrassing audible print as their own Europa system at the Group.

  "This woman must make a fortune doing these damn recordings," Sarah said as she followed the yeoman out of the elevator.

  "If you're speaking of our computer's voiceprint, it may be just like your system." She gave a small laugh. "It's recorded by a little old lady in Akron, Ohio." She gestured for them to step free of the elevator. "She's seventy-six years old."

  "Oh," Sarah said as she waited for Lee, Alice, Niles, and Virginia to catch up with her and Farbeaux. She frowned toward Alice. "Don't ever tell Carl, Ryan, or Mendenhall. It would shatter their fantasies about Europa's voice."

  As they entered a very long and curving hallway, they saw magnificent laser prints of the oceans of the world lining the wall. Each was backlit and was a depiction of a bay, a sea, or a moonlight view of the Arctic. As they walked slowly behind the yeoman, they all stared at the design of the hallway. The material was unrecognizable. It had the look of hard plastic, but as each reached out to touch the material in turn, they knew it was something beyond their own engineering knowledge. It was soft in spots and hard in other areas. Large panels met at a stringer that felt and looked like painted titanium.

  "All hands, prepare to dive." A loud horn sounded throughout the boat.

  The wall, about five feet up from the floor, split, and a long panel slid down as it did. A stout-looking handrail slowly slid from the abcess.

  "If you'll stop and take a handhold, this will only take a minute. The initial dive profile of Leviathan can be rather steep. We call it the 'the fall from grace.'" Yeoman Alvera smiled as she took hold of the steel-and-wood handrail.

  "Nice," Sarah said, but taking ahold of the rail anyway.

  "Dive, dive, dive." The voice was strong and clear over the hidden loudspeakers as a soft tone sounded throughout the boat warning of the dive.

  The yeoman let go of the rail and stepped up to the senator and Alice.

  "If you like, we have straps. Would you prefer that?"

  Lee fixed the young girl with his one good eye.

  "The day I need to wear a—"

  "No thank you, young lady, we are fine," Alice said, giving Lee a harsh look.

  As Yeoman Alvera returned to her spot, the deck suddenly angled down and they felt their stomachs go with it. Then they could tell by the centrifugal forces being applied that the speed of the great ship increased to unheard-of velocity. The young woman pointed to a red-numbered digital readout at the next bulkhead, twenty feet in front of them and over the next hatchway.

  "Impossible," Niles mumbled.

  The indicator was flashing numbers at an incredible rate. Their depth had gone from two hundred feet to six hundred in a matter of forty seconds. As Niles tried to follow the digital numbers, Leviathan started to level off and slow. Soon the LED readout at the bulkhead said that the massive boat was at nine hundred feet in depth. Then the readout changed and the numbers split, now showing not only depth but also speed.

  "We will travel at this speed for the next — well, we'll be pretty steady for the time being."

  Niles saw Leviathan was cruising at seventy knots with not so much as a shiver coursing through the vessel.

  They continued on their way, not seeing another crew member on their journey. Then they came to the first stateroom.

  "Mrs. Hamilton, we have put you in with Senator Lee. We believe those are the accommodations you are used to?"

  Lee looked sligh
tly embarrassed, but Alice just raised her left brow.

  "Good, you'll find a fresh suit in the closet for the senator. We believe we got the size right, and a nice pantsuit for you, Mrs. Hamilton."

  She opened the door and allowed the two to enter. They were surprised to find their accommodation would have rivaled anything on a modern cruise ship. There was a small living area complete with desk, separate bathroom with tub and shower, a completely stocked wet bar, and a large bed dominating the room. The motif was in greens and blues with rich wood paneling.

  "These accommodations were specially built for this occasion. Normally the captain — well, let's just say our berthing areas are a little more spartan and functional."

  As Niles stepped aside and allowed the girl to pass, he nodded at Lee and Alice and then closed their stateroom door.

  "So, our abduction was planned for a while, at least long enough to refit this deck?" he asked, following the girl.

  "Oh, yes," she said slightly turning her head and looking at Niles. "We were just unsure of how many to accommodate." She looked to her right at Colonel Farbeaux. "Unfortunately, we were only expecting two people from your Group. I'm afraid you'll have to double up in your staterooms for the time being."

  Farbeaux looked down at Sarah and smiled. Sarah only rolled her eyes.

  The girl caught the look and gestures. "You, sir, and Director Compton will be sharing a stateroom."

  As they walked to their rooms, Farbeaux frowned and Niles cringed.

  "Young woman, err… uh… Yeoman Alvera, is it?"

  "Yes, Dr. Compton," she answered with her permanent smile in place.

  "You know your captain, or whoever it is that is leading you, is quite mad. I mean… do you understand what you're attempting, although for a noble cause, would throw the world into total economic collapse?"

  The yeoman stopped in midstride and looked at Virginia, Farbeaux, Sarah, and Niles one at a time, and for the first time her smile faltered. Also for the first time they saw the seriousness of the young woman.

  "I understand completely your concern, but I can guarantee this matter has been thought out carefully and my captain has come to the conclusion that extreme measures must be taken now to stop the seas from dying. The incident in the Mediterranean has forced our…" She attempted an ill-fated smile, and then corrected herself, "the captain's hand."

  "The Med — what does that have to do with this vessel and its intent?" Niles asked.

  "Moreover, Dr. Compton," she continued, ignoring his second question, "you will find that the loyalty of this crew is beyond reproach. I was found when I was only seven years old. I had just witnessed my mother, father, and older brother die from a chemical spill. My captain found me in very bad shape, took me in, educated me, trained me, and made me a person of pride — I am even loved here. No, Doctor, you'll find no disloyalty onboard Leviathan, and you'll also not find one soul that doesn't approve of the methods employed by the captain."

  THE EVENT GROUP COMPLEX,

  NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA

  Collins had just left the infirmary where Dr. Denise Gilliam had given him a complete physical and pronounced Jack officially alive and back from the dead. He tried to explain to her everything he remembered, even down to the strange dreams he had had, even the small creature in the bottle, the tentacled arms and clear body floating in a solution. Denise accepted all of this with raised brows but no comment on his sanity was forthcoming.

  "Well, Colonel, I would say you have a combination of memory versus nightmare. The little octopus thing says nightmare, but voices in the dark says you weren't sleeping the whole time. I would say give it more time. Meanwhile I'll get your exams to Dr. Haskins when he returns from leave; we're shorthanded until then."

  A knock sounded on the infirmary door. Mendenhall poked his head inside and held up a file folder. Jack excused himself and exited the clinic.

  "We found this in the cafeteria," Will said as he handed Jack a blue-bordered folder with the single word and numbers on it.

  "Vault 298907," he said aloud, and opened it as he walked.

  "It was found at the table the chef remembers the senator and Alice were working from. It was the only folder there, found on a chair. The other files faxed out from Arlington for levels seventy-three and seventy-four were missing. The closed-circuit recording in the hallway verified they were in the possession of the assault element."

  "Maybe it just fell off the table when—" Jack's words trailed off and he slowed his pace. He closed the file and thought a moment, and then started walking. Instead of going toward the comp center, he turned at the bank of elevators.

  "Colonel?" Mendenhall said, standing at the elevator as Jack went inside.

  "Go to the clean level and get Captain Everett. Then you and he meet me on level seventy-three, vault 298907."

  Mendenhall was left standing there as the doors slid closed.

  * * *

  Jack could smell the burned plastic and carpeting before the elevator even came to a stop. The doors opened and he stepped out into the long, curving hallway. Europa had restored all of the electrical systems, and Collins could see fifty men combing through the wreckage of the vaults.

  He shook his head and started forward, passing one of his security men who was armed with an M-16. He stepped through the now-dead security portal and into the vault area.

  Professor Charles Hindershot Ellenshaw III, head of the cryptozoology department, had volunteered for cleanup on the level, and so he had been placed in charge of documenting, cleaning, and restoring the artifacts that had been damaged. Collins saw the professor was still very upset at the wanton destruction of the vaults. Jack watched the professor run a hand through his wild white hair.

  "Colonel Collins, it is so very good to see you. I and my crypto department were very pleased to hear—"

  "Thanks, Professor," Jack said, knowing he couldn't take one more pleasurable greeting at how happy they were he had returned from beyond the river Styx. "Vault 298907?"

  "Oh, uh… there's not much left, I'm afraid. It's right here." He gestured to the large vault three enclosures down from where they stood. "It seems that vault and the two nearest it received the brunt of the damage, possibly because of its size, and its fragile and dangerous content."

  "Dangerous?"

  Ellenshaw looked at his clipboard. "Oh yes, it seems there were five hundred batteries inside the artifact — old, but with enough dried acid to have reacted with the fire, causing a considerable explosion."

  "Thanks, Professor," Jack said, patting him on the shoulder and making his way to the large vault with the scorched steel door standing ajar. "And Charlie, it's good to see you, too."

  Ellenshaw smiled, nodded, and then went back to work, with a last look back at Collins.

  Jack had to use the strength of both arms to push the door open. The vault was filled with temporary lighting that cast shadows on the burned and broken remains of the submarine recovered in 1967. Jack remembered it had been one of the first artifacts shown him upon being assigned to the Event Group. It was also one of the more intriguing items he had ever seen during his time here.

  Jack opened the file, standing next to one of the temporary light stands, and read the vault synopsis. Carbon-14 dating had placed the submarine's age at 150 years, plus or minus ten years. He lowered the file and looked at what remained of the skeletal shape of her hull. The iron had melted away during the intense heat of the fire, and her battery system, one that had even shocked the few engineers brought in from General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division, was a melted lump at the bottom of the artifact. At one time, you could clearly see that this was once a miracle of technology.

  Jack had been told that it had possibly been the model for Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. At the time it was wholly believable, because you could still make out the spiked conning tower and rounded bow. At more than three hundred feet in length and displacing twenty thousand tons, she was almo
st the exact model of today's advanced attack navy boats.

  "She's a mess."

  Jack turned and saw Everett and Mendenhall standing just inside the vault.

  "That she is. Tell me, Carl, you're a navy man. If this sub was built before or just after the start of the Civil War, how far do you think the technology would have advanced by the present time?"

  Everett entered and tried not to splash sooty water on his jumpsuit. He dodged a hanging piece of electrical line and placed a hand on what was once the curvature of the spherical bow.

  "I couldn't begin to estimate the advances this science would have made if it wasn't checked. You think we're dealing with the same people who built this?"

  "Why not? It makes sense. The fact that they destroyed a link to their past is convincing enough, but seeing this—"

  "From looking at the outside in, Colonel, the notes on this investigation really had nothing to say. At least nothing stands out that would make them want this artifact destroyed."

  Everett and Jack turned and looked at Mendenhall. They never remembered the new lieutenant using such a long sentence before.

  "What?" Will asked, wondering what it was he had said wrong.

  "You're right, Lieutenant, that's all," Collins answered. "What were they afraid of us uncovering from this boat?"

  Everett and Mendenhall were as perplexed as Jack.

  "Whatever it is, it's in this file, and in this wreck. Either something found during the original forensics on the artifact in nineteen sixty-seven, or something we may find now. So, we need someone combing through the file, and we need another workup on the remains."

  "And hope it all wasn't burned to hell."

  Jack slapped the file into Mendenhall's chest. "Right, Lieutenant. You have your job. Grab anyone you need, form any team, and get me an answer."

  Will took the file and almost dropped it in the dirty water; his expression said that the order would be hard to complete.

  "Yes, sir…. Can I have any doc or professor I want?"