The Ghost Ship (MOSAR Book 3)

by C. R. Turner

  “Why did we stop here?” I ask.

  Taylor looks taken aback. “It has no windows for one … but I’m sure some of the writing above the doors matches some text I’ve seen in the Timberwolf’s computer.”

  “Do you know what it says?” I ask.

  Taylor shakes her head. “No … I’ll have to translate it when we get back to the ship.”

  “Are you recording our location?” I ask Taylor as she taps her Core-link.

  “Yeah, with Sam’s help, I’ve downloaded the map I found of Te Enthai on the ship’s computer to our Core-links.”

  Sam and I dismount and follow the team up the steps. Hawkins sticks the tip of his knife between the doors and rams it in with the palm of his hand before prying them open. Windows on the far wall run the full height of the two-storey foyer. From what I can tell, the building must be rectangular with a large courtyard in the centre. Bradley, Hawkins, and Emerson scan our surroundings with their Ashras shouldered. I like their optimism but wouldn’t count on finding anyone alive at this point.

  “Split up. Miller, Stinson, Hawkins – you guys take the lower level, we’ll take the top,” Bradley orders.

  Bradley, Emerson, Taylor and Marcus climb the stairs to the top floor as we leave Max and Jade in the foyer and start scouting. The first door we come to is locked with some hi-tech mechanism. Taylor was right to have stopped at this building; you don’t find locks like that just anywhere. Hawkins hefts his muscly leg and kicks the door with all he’s got. It flies open, sending a strip of stainless steel pirouetting down the hallway, then bounces off the wall and slams shut again. We all laugh as Hawkins opens the door with his hand this time.

  The hallway is lined with lab rooms. Fully equipped with everything you’d possibly want. The windows, which overlook the courtyard, all have bars on them. After half an hour of not finding anything particularly interesting, we’re heading back to the foyer when Marcus calls us over the Core-link. We take off up the stairs and file into another lab at the back of the building, Bradley and Emerson just beating us there.

  “What is it?” Bradley asks.

  “Check this out,” Marcus says.

  Marcus steps out of the way, revealing a nanoscope on the bench. I try to read his face before stepping in. Dozens of hybrid nanoids, all active, are swimming lethargically around in human blood. I keep watching but nothing happens. I step back and look at the rest of the group.

  “What?” Bradley and Sam ask in unison.

  “They’re the same hybrid nanoids we found in the Timberwolf flight crew,” I say. “But they’re all active.”

  Marcus looks at Bradley. “I put a sample of my blood in with them which seems to activate them.”

  “To what end?” Bradley asks.

  Marcus shrugs. “Nothing happens after that.”

  Emerson glances between us. “What is this place?”

  “Why did these ones activate when introduced to blood?” I ask. “Where did you find them?”

  Marcus hands me a small shiny steel tube. It has some serious weight to it.

  I frown. “Why’s it warm?”

  “I found it like that,” Marcus replies with a smug smile.

  There’s only one thing I can think of that would keep a sample warm for years without electricity. “The tube must have a radioactive source.”

  Bradley raises his eyebrows as he pulls a radiation card out of his top pocket before breathing a sigh of relief. “We’re all good.”

  “I don’t get it. Why would they be stored that way?” I ask.

  “The nanoids we use on Terra Primus draw their power from electrolytes in blood.” Marcus explains. “These ones must have a microscopic thermocouple in them that converts body heat into electricity.”

  “Why wouldn’t the ones on the Timberwolf reactivate with a sample of my blood?” I ask.

  Marcus shakes his head and looks around the room. “They must have a failsafe built in that prevents them from reactivating once they’ve gone cold. A programmatic or mechanical failsafe to ensure they’re non-persistent. The radioactive source in the tube is probably keeping them from shutting down.”

  “Sir, can we take it back with us for further study?” I ask.

  Bradley thinks for several seconds, then replies firmly, “Alright. Make sure it’s well sealed though. I don’t want anyone getting infected.”

  A couple hours later, we’ve made our way to one of the huge energy canons that dot the landscape. It sits in the middle of a park surrounded by trees, gardens, benches and a children’s playground. It’s one of the most peculiar sights I’ve seen, and a little disturbing. As I dismount, I catch a glimpse of someone running away. I drop Max’s reins and run to catch up. I make it to the edge of the park where the person disappeared down a street, but there’s no sign of them.

  “What is it?” Bradley asks as he and Hawkins catch up.

  The rest of the team run over.

  “I saw a civilian … I think he had an energy weapon slung over his back.”

  Bradley and Hawkins survey the empty street.

  “So not all dead then,” Hawkins says.

  Our eyes lock.

  When we make it back to the energy canon, Hawkins and Marcus open panels to look inside. It’s an impressive machine. The main turret stands as tall as the adjacent two-storey buildings while the barrels extend into the sky for a hundred or so feet. Sam looks distracted as she stands back, watching Hawkins and Marcus work. She’s normally elbows deep in this kind of thing. It’s strange working with someone you’re involved with personally. We spend long days apart when we’re home, training in our chosen fields, only coming together as a team for planning, briefings and intense combat training. When we head off-world, the mission takes over, and Sam and I go hours, sometimes days, without talking.

  “How are you going?” I ask.

  “Okay, just tired,” Sam replies.

  I know that seeing the things we see on missions must be poisoning our souls, and I worry how much Sam can take before her pure soul is irreparably damaged. It scares me to death thinking about it.

  After a couple hours, Hawkins and Marcus pack up their gear. Bradley walks over with a hard black case. He cracks it open and hands me half-a-dozen motion-activated cameras. “Put them out how you see fit. We’ll see if we can catch a glimpse of the locals.”

  Whenever I see these cameras, I get flashbacks to when the striker scout was hunting Max and me back on Terra Primus – the abandoned factory where Max and I spent the night, Marcus’ office building where Sam and I met. It was long ago, but I’ll never forget what it was like to be hunted – the fear, uncertainty and exhaustion.

  Marcus and I spend hours studying the live hybrid nanoids in a second infirmary we found on the Timberwolf. It’s dusk by the time we return to the bridge where Sam, Emerson, and Taylor are working. We’ve only just made it down to the flight deck when the lift arrives at bridge level and Bradley and Hawkins head our way.

  “Report!” Bradley orders.

  Sam stands. “Sir, I cracked the encryption and have accessed the ship’s log.”

  Bradley’s eyes widen. “Excellent!”

  “How?” Marcus asks.

  Bradley glances over at Marcus and then back at Sam. “Forget how, what’s in the log?”

  Sam doesn’t know where to look. “Sir, the Timberwolf was on its first test flight when the salvage team found it drifting through interstellar space. The salvage team were telling the truth about how they found it. But it looks like the flight crew died before they had a chance to return to Te Enthai.”

  “Well, that tracks,” Marcus says.

  “Why’s that?” Bradley asks.

  Expecting Marcus to take the limelight, I wait. Marcus gestures for me to talk by raising his open palm and bowing his head slightly.

  “The nanoids we found in the lab were lethargic,” I say, “and it got me thinking about Marcus’ theory, about them having some sort of thermocouple. I introduced some heat b
y setting the radioactive sample tube under the slide, and they went into overdrive. They swam around consuming protein in the blood. That’s where the organic part of the nanoid comes into play. They grow muscle tissue on the back of the mechanical part.”

  “To what end?” Bradley asks.

  “I’m speculating,” I add, “but I believe the hybrid nanoid keeps growing the muscle mass until it’s large enough to cause a pulmonary embolism and the subject dies.”

  “If it’s a hybrid bioweapon,” Hawkins asks, “how does a given quantity infect an entire planet?”

  “Around one per cent of the nanoids are some sort of mechanical replicator nanoid. I was only able to study it for a short while, but it appears to absorb metals in the blood to replicate more of the hybrid nanoids.”

  Everyone’s quiet until Taylor adds, “Sir, I’ve translated the signage on the building where we found the nanoid sample.”

  “What does it say?” Bradley asks.

  “Military research.”

  Everyone looks grim as what we’ve stumbled into slowly sinks in.

  “Sir, we’re looking at a bioweapon,” I say.

  “Alright … I’ve heard enough. Destroy all the live samples and take—”

  Marcus cuts Bradley off. “But we’ve got to study it—”

  “Negative!” Bradley blasts with so much vigour it’s like someone dropped an anvil on a solid steel floor. “Look around you. Look at the level of technology that surrounds us … and this hybrid nanoid likely wiped them all out. They couldn’t contain it. We’re lucky we’re still standing. I want all the live samples destroyed, and I want the dead flight crew off this ship. Understood?”

  Marcus freezes. “Pos, sir.”

  It’s just after dusk by the time we transport the dead flight crew to a nearby hangar and destroy all the live hybrid nanoid samples. I’m relieved when Bradley allows me to keep the deactivated nanoids. I can’t wait to get back home to study them more.

  I wake to a dark-blue dawn lighting the bridge windscreens. Still sleep groggy, I sit up and find half the team asleep in their swags. I hate bouncing from planet to planet; it seriously messes with your body clock. Sam’s nearby, reading a technical book on the Timberwolf.

  “Can you read that?”

  Sam shakes her head. “No, but I can understand the screen displays in the book and what they’re for. I’ve deciphered some words.”

  “Do you want to take Max and Jade for a walk?”

  Sam slams her book shut, looking refreshed. “Yup.”

  I get up and find Bradley sitting at one of the consoles. “Sir, do you mind if we take the canines for a walk?”

  “What’s your assessment on the nanoid threat?” Bradley asks. “Could there still be live nanoids out there?”

  I think through my sleepy fog. “Sir … I’m positive they’re non-persistent, but even if they are, there’s no way they could be airborne. With how long ago the nanoids must have contaminated the planet, I’m guessing they’d all be deactivated by now.”

  “Do you think they could have spread through the food chain?” Bradley asks.

  “No … not through the human food chain at least. Meat stored cold would’ve deactivated the nanoids. Animals could become infected if they ate an infected carcass, but I’m guessing they would have spread through the human population by contact with infected people or animals,” I say.

  “Alright. Just be careful.”

  “Pos, sir.”

  Outside, Max and Jade run ahead. Sam and I walk along holding hands. Close to shivering, I rub my arm with my free hand.

  “What’s with your dad?” I blurt, still half asleep and not thinking.

  I suddenly worry I might have offended her, but she doesn’t look that surprised by the question.

  “I don’t know. He’s not been the same since he’s come back. I know I was little when he left, but I don’t remember him being anywhere near this arrogant or disrespectful. It’s like he’s trying to stamp his authority on everything, making up for lost time or something. I cringe when I hear some of the things that come out of his mouth. I’ve been really worried what Bradley and the rest of the team think of me now.”

  Feeling sorry for Marcus, I ask, “Do you think the scars Bradley told us about were from his time in prison?”

  “I don’t know. He won’t talk about that,” Sam says. “I suppose, although improbable, that he could have had them before, and I just never knew about them.”

  Max has his chest pressed against Jade’s side and is resting his head on her back. Jade’s eyes are half closed as she bathes in the morning light. I give Sam’s hand a couple of quick squeezes, then admire her beautiful face for a while before giving her a big hug.

  As I pull away, a tear runs down Sam’s cheek. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Sam whispers.

  “What is it?”

  Sam avoids eye contact, as if she’s doesn’t really want to answer, before finally facing me. “You show Max more affection than me.”

  I gasp. “What are you talking about?”

  “You hug Max and Jade all the time.”

  “But … we all do. It’s … admiration.”

  She stares at me with hurt in her eyes, and I reconsider what she’s said. Do I neglect her? We don’t get that much time alone, and hugging Sam in front of the team is … awkward. Maybe she’s right. I squeeze her hand again. “You know, I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, but I think there’s a small part of me that’s still trying to protect myself. After having my parents stolen from me, I think I’m scared. Scared you’ll be stolen from me too.”

  Sam wipes her eyes. “Why are you different around Max?”

  I shake my head. “I don’t know … I guess Max is my protector, my guardian. He makes me feel safe. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you make me feel vulnerable.” After a moment of silence, I add, “It’s hard working together as well. When we’re off-world, I deliberately try to hide my emotions and not show you affection, to put the job first, but the line between our work and private life is so grey, I struggle.”

  “I’m sorry you went through that. Seeing your parents murdered must have been …” Sam empties her lungs. “In retrospect, I don’t know how you put that behind you to join the Union and help right all the wrongs on Terra Primus.”

  I hug her again. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Sam says. “Nobody should ever have to go through what you went through. You know you never have to worry about me leaving?”

  I nod. It’s not the first time Sam’s expressed her commitment and love in the three and a half years we’ve been together, but hearing her say it again brings me great comfort.

  As we head back, I think about the toll our job takes – our fallen comrade Dropa, the heavy personal injuries like Pisano losing his leg, not to mention the unspoken psychological toll.

  “How much death and destruction do you think a person can witness before it permanently changes them?” I ask.

  “I don’t know … I keep expecting it to get easier with each mission, but it doesn’t.” She draws a deep stuttered breath. “I just try to compartmentalise. I try not to think about the negatives. I don’t think it’s helpful.”

  I rub my forehead. “It’s not the brutality of nature that haunts me, it’s the evil things people do to one another.” I pause our walking for a second. “It’s the opportunity to help others that keeps driving me off-world, but I wonder at what cost.”

  When Sam and I return to the bridge, everyone’s gathered around Taylor’s console.

  “What are you looking at?” I ask.

  Taylor looks up. “Using the ship’s sensors, I found the location of a machine I think develops the black-body cloak over the planet.”

  Bradley adds, “We thought we’d go check it out before leaving. You think Max and Jade are up for a run?”

  I grin. “Hell, yeah!”

  As we exit the lift, I try to put the thought of se
eing more dead bodies out of my mind, determined to just enjoy the ride. The Hurricanes drive off in the opposite direction from the other day, and we follow them toward a gate far off in the distance.

  I call out to Sam, “Race ya,” and rib Max.

  Max doesn’t have to be asked twice and launches into a run.

  “Hey, no fa—”

  Sam’s voice is drowned out by the air rushing over my ears as Max overtakes the Hurricanes. I grin, eyes watering in the wind buffeting my face. I can just hear the four-wheel drives trailing behind. Max has his ears pinned back as he sucks in big lungs full of air and exhales them in an instant. He streaks across the tarmac, his massive muscles hurling us forward at terrifying speed. In no time at all, we reach the gate, and I slow Max to a trot, then a walk. I turn to look behind me. Jade’s a couple hundred feet away with the Hurricanes close behind. I’m puffing from the thrill as Max catches his breath. Sam’s grin is even bigger than mine. Bradley and the rest of the team cheer as they drive past. I pat Max on the neck and run my hand over his jet-black silky fur.

  After a couple hours, we reach an industrial area set amongst the bush. I scan the trees as we travel – no bird or animal calls. A result of the hybrid nanoids, no doubt. I wonder how long the flora can last without the birds and insects that create an ecosystem.

  The road ends and straight ahead, at the top of a hill, is an enormous building. The strangest I’ve ever seen. It’s teardrop shaped and stands roughly three hundred feet tall and eighty or ninety feet in diameter at the base. The pointy roof, I’m guessing, some sort of aerial.

  We warily approach the structure, and everyone climbs out of the Hurricanes with frowns as they stare – there are no windows or doors. How are we going to get in? Max and I follow Marcus and Emerson around the circular base, but when we reach the halfway point, we meet the rest of the team still looking for a way in. The surface is smooth with not even a hint of screws or bolts holding it together.

  “Well, that’s different,” Hawkins says.

  Emerson takes his Ashra off his back and hollers, “Stand back.”