by James Axler
“Damn barbaric, is what it is,” Mildred said more loudly than necessary.
“I am sorry that you had to witness that, but examples have to be made sometimes. Fortunately, the forward hull isn’t that difficult to navigate. A good sailor like Elial should be able to get by with only a few cuts.”
“How very fortunate for him,” Mildred said through gritted teeth.
“It is. If his infraction had been more severe, I may have had him keelhauled the entire length of the ship. It has only happened in three instances during my time as captain, and none of them survived. They are with De Kooning now.”
“With De Kooning now,” the other three officers repeated.
Frost waved at the table. “Shall we eat?”
Ryan kept his eye on Mildred, who still glowered at the captain as she pulled out her chair. But she held her tongue while another server filled their goblets with their choice of fresh-squeezed fruit juices.
“Fresh pineapple juice...I never thought I would taste this again,” Doc said after draining his entire glass and holding it out for a refill. Ryan went for papaya juice, a sweet, pink-purple liquid that he ended up sipping rather than drinking. Mildred and Ricky both opted for mango.
The first course was served: a dense, white fish Frost called mah-mah, wrapped in seaweed and steamed over coals, with several fruit compotes and salsas for flavor. The fish itself was flaky and relatively flavorless, so Ryan sampled some of the sauces with it. Like the juice, he found them overly sweet and stuck to just the fish. Accompaniments consisted of several seaweed dishes along with more fresh fruit, both raw and grilled.
“My friends and I have traveled quite a ways, but we’ve never seen a ship as incredible as this one,” Ryan said between bites. “How did all of this come about?”
“That is a story I never grow tired of telling,” Frost replied. “I have the honor of being the seventh captain of the Ocean Queen, but it, and all aboard, owe their existence to a very special man.”
“This De Kooning fellow, I bet,” Mildred said, before draining her glass.
“You are correct,” Frost said. “Let us enjoy our meal, if you please, and I will fill you in at the end.”
The next course was thick shark steaks, also grilled. Ryan found this much more palatable. It was followed by grilled abalone, which was succulent and flavorful. Candy made from dried pineapple, mango and papaya completed the menu.
Afterward, a steward came around and offered what looked like two different types of cigars to everyone. All of the officers except for the captain indulged. Catching a whiff of what smelled like a particularly pungent strain of maryjane as the case was offered to his side of the table, Ryan signaled to the rest of his people to not partake.
Doc, however, either didn’t listen or didn’t seem to care, as he selected a cigar and held it to the flame of the nearest oil lamp as he puffed it to life. Fortunately, when he exhaled, Ryan could smell that it was an ordinary cigar.
“Now, you had asked about the beginnings of the Ocean Queen,” Frost said to Ryan. “As I had mentioned, more than one hundred years ago, before the Great Waves, a man named Pietr de Kooning—”
“Blessed is his name,” the other three officers intoned.
Frost nodded at their words. “He realized that, sooner or later, humankind was going to destroy itself. It was only a matter of time. Possessing vast wealth, he set about building a veritable ark for those select few who would qualify to board and leave the squabbling nations on land behind, existing in a sovereign state on the seven seas.”
“He had access to nuclear technology?” Doc asked between puffs, unmindful of the surprised looks of the officers. “You need not look so shocked, gentlemen. It would be the only way to keep this ship powered for as long as it has.”
Noticing Markson watching the old man intently, Ryan thought about giving him a kick under the table to keep him quiet, but the damage had already been done.
Frost cleared his throat. “You are correct, Dr. Tanner. De Kooning had connections in the government, and was able to purchase the plans for a small breeder nuclear reactor that he had installed in the Ocean Queen. Due to its unique properties, it is self-sufficient, allowing us to roam the seas at will. Our needs are few enough otherwise. We must always secure enough food, which the sea provides in plenty, and trade for whatever else we need with the islands we sail past.”
“Wait a minute,” Mildred said as she popped a chunk of pineapple into her mouth, chewed and swallowed. “Nothing against you folks, however, you don’t seem to be the descendants of the best and brightest De Kooning had in mind when he built this floating palace.”
“Alas, you are also correct,” Frost replied. “The ship was being outfitted at the island of Hawaii, and De Kooning was in the process of selecting his chosen people when the Great Waves were set into motion. With civilization as they knew it destroyed, our ancestors chose to set out on their own to construct our society while upholding as many of his tenets as possible. In the intervening decades, the ship has continued on this course, with the descendants of the original crew and passengers working together to provide for all and ensure that De Kooning’s vision is kept alive.”
“De Kooning’s vision,” the other three men repeated solemnly.
Doc leaned back in his chair and blew a smoke ring into the air. “Until recently, I presume?”
The ship’s officers all exchanged glances, then Frost answered him. “Yes. Lately those who work in the necessary departments belowdecks have been complaining that we, the ship’s officers and the rest who work above, have not been allowing them enough of a say in how the ship operates. They claim that we run the Ocean Queen according to our own whims, without care as to their opinions or beliefs. They even claim that we are trying to keep them down there, and not allow any to rise to positions abovedecks.”
“Are they correct?” Mildred asked. Now Ryan glanced at her, wondering if she was pushing too far. However, since he was interested in the captain’s answer, he remained silent.
Frost smiled. “There must be order in every society. Without that, there is only chaos. The structure laid down by De Kooning all those decades ago has served us well, and there is no reason to change it now.”
“Are you saying that De Kooning himself advocated the segregation of the people aboard this vessel?” Doc asked.
“I wouldn’t put it in quite such concrete terms. One of his rules that we have cleaved to is, ‘Everyone should know their place.’”
Doc nodded. “Of course. And all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Frost shook his head. “We are not referring to anyone as animals, Doctor. The simple matter is that the underdecks are vital to the operation of the Ocean Queen, and require specialized knowledge and training. The best people to pass along that knowledge and training are the ones who have learned and done it already. The same can be said for the abovedecks positions. Unfortunately, those belowdecks do not share our viewpoint on this matter. They have been arguing for a more equal say in matters of the ship’s administration, including adding Downrunners to positions abovedecks, and Topsiders to those belowdecks. To emphasize their demands, recently they denied us access to the ship’s power room, as well as other parts below. They have cut off power to entire sections of the ship—” he waved at the lamps around them “—hence our reliance on alternate forms of energy. While we control the superstructure of the boat, including the gardens, and the upper decks, they run the entire lower half of the ship.”
“Surely you have attempted to negotiate with them?” Mildred asked.
“Of course—we are not savages,” Frost replied. “However, they have been resistant from the very beginning, and have been more and more belligerent as time has gone by.”
“Indeed,” Doc commented. “One wonders when they are going to realize that, with control of both the ship’s main power as well as access to the rudder, they could force everyone abovedecks to bend
to their will, otherwise they would simply interrupt the power to the rest of the ship, or hijack the steering and send it wherever they wish.”
Now Frost and his senior officers all shared dark looks. “Yes, Dr. Tanner, that thought had occurred to us, as well,” Markson said.
“I should hope so,” Doc replied, appearing completely at ease around these men for some strange reason. “And should you manage to remove these various thorns in your side, these snowballs, if you will, how will you run the area belowdecks?”
“Be assured we are not advocating the wholesale slaughter of those who handle everything down there,” Frost said. “Just removing those instigators that are creating this situation—mainly, the Chif Engner and those directly below him in the chain of command. Once they are gone, others who are more...pliable can be promoted to those ranks.”
“So, you wish us to do what exactly?” Ryan asked, more than tired of beating around the bush with these people.
“Chief Officer Markson let me know that three of your party have been captured by the Downrunners while coming aboard. I would imagine that you wish to recover them,” Frost said.
“As soon as possible,” Ryan replied.
Frost nodded. “Of course. Were they my people, I would want to do the same. We are not a violent people, Mr. Cawdor—”
“Those sharpened oars indicate differently,” Ryan opined.
The captain’s eyebrows narrowed. “That is strictly for self-defense. When they began attacking our longboats, we had to come up with some way to protect the crew as well as those whom they rescued. There was an unfortunate incident in which they capsized a boat into waters that were already laced with blood. Every sailor died before we could mount a rescue. Since then, we have taken all necessary precautions to safeguard ourselves and those who come aboard.”
“Except when you don’t,” Mildred said, making heads turn to her. Coller even leaned forward as if he was going to rise from his chair, but stopped when Frost shook his head. “Hey, I’m just calling it like I see it. As I recall, three of our people are being held hostage below, right?”
“No matter how thorough our preparations are, there are always accidents,” Markson said.
“Yes, and on behalf of myself and my crew, you have our deepest apologies. It was never our intent to have any of you come to harm.” Frost looked at each of them in turn. “As I said, while we are not a violent people, we are faced with a situation that seems to require it. Pardon my bluntness, but you and your group seem used to that sort of life.”
“Yes, that would be our first reaction to any situation,” Mildred said dryly.
Frost continued as if he hadn’t heard her. “And since you are already wishing to go below in search of your missing people, if you could also locate and remove the ringleaders of this revolution, we would be most grateful.”
“What’s in it for us?” Ryan asked.
His question was ignored.
“We can provide you with detailed plans of the ship, including the various changes that have been made over the past decades,” Staff Captain Lind said. “That includes everything we know about the Downrunners’ population and defenses.”
“Also, we have identified an access point that will guarantee you the element of surprise when you move in,” Sec Chief Coller said.
“What makes you think it isn’t compromised already?” Ryan asked with a frown.
“We’ve monitored it ever since this unpleasantness began,” Markson said. “Even sent a couple of scouting teams down below in the event we were forced to launch our own mission. They haven’t found it, I guarantee you that.”
Ryan just grunted in reply. The guarantee of a baron’s underling often wasn’t worth the air used to say it.
“Finally, we would be honored to offer you and your people a place aboard the Ocean Queen,” Frost said. “We would have you join us and find appropriate positions for everyone. However, if you do not wish to join us, we would be just as happy to outfit you with supplies and drop you off wherever you wish—as long as it’s within sailing distance, of course.” The other officers chuckled at his joke.
Ryan turned the grimace on his face into a small, wry smile. “I’ll want to discuss this with my people first, before we agree to anything.”
“Of course,” Frost replied with the air of a man who already knew what the answer was going to be. “Take all the time you need.”
“Oh, I will.” At that moment, Ryan decided that he didn’t like the captain of the Ocean Queen very much at all.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Of late, the captain and his officers have been limiting us more and more, preventing us from seeing or even speaking with those above, keeping us confined belowdecks, not allowing us to engage in discussions about how the ship is to be run and generally doing everything they can to keep us as second-class citizens. We are the ones risking our lives—giving our lives—to make sure that this vessel has the power it needs, and they strut around on the upper decks lording it over us as if we were nothing more than slaves to jump when they command!”
Over the past half hour, Krysty and J.B. had listened to the Chif Engner’s story.
“Due to our being trapped down here, for lack of a better word, we are forced to venture out and attempt to add new blood to our numbers whenever the ship is close to an island or, as in your case, new Recovered are brought on board,” he continued. “That is why we have modified the hull like we did. If we did not, they would simply allow us to die from attrition.”
“But you control the power source for the ship,” Krysty said. “Surely that must give you some kind of bargaining leverage?”
What was left of the rad-blasted human’s face assumed a wretched semblance of a smile. He had informed them that his position was an honored one that all of the “engners,” as they were called, aspired to achieve, even though it meant an early, horrible death. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? And yet they seem determined to eradicate us from the ship completely.”
“Wait a minute, that doesn’t make sense,” J.B. said. “If somehow they do manage to get rid of all of you, who’s going to run the nuke reactor and make sure the other systems down here are still operating?”
The Chif Engner shook his head. “In their zeal to wipe us out, I do not know if any of them have even considered that. I truly believe that they have gone mad.”
“So, how do we figure into all of this?” Krysty asked.
“We have been forced to take some of the Recovered that the Topsiders have brought on board for their own desires. Typically, you are brought into our clans, and trained in areas where we are lacking. However, given your abilities, and the fact that you have others that you wish to find abovedecks, we would set you free if first you could find a way to remove or destroy Captain Frost and his officers. Then, we could work with the rest of the men and women up there and return to De Kooning’s vision of a ship where everyone is equal and all of us work toward the same goals—life and liberty.”
“Sounds like a tall order,” J.B. said. “From what I’ve seen so far, they’ve got numbers on their side.”
“Perhaps, but we have the run of the ship, both belowdecks and through the other systems. We can get you close enough to free your companions and then kill the captain and his officers before the others can do anything about it. Once they are gone, I believe that the others would be more receptive to negotiating with us.”
“It would be better if we could see the rest of our group first before making any definite plans,” Krysty said. “Is there any way you can get a message to them?”
The Chif Engner shook his head. “It is too risky. If it were to be discovered, we would risk losing everything we’ve been planning for.”
“I want to discuss your offer with my friends in private,” Krysty said. “Afterward, we will give you our decision.”
“Very well, return to your friend and think about our offer. Your weapons will be returned to you, of course. We
are not your enemies. As a token of goodwill, I would ask that you release Raina from her hostage-bond. She can take you somewhere where you can talk in private.”
“Done,” Krysty replied as she turned and headed for the door with J.B. right beside her.
In the corridor, Krysty told Jak to lower his blaster. “Raina is no longer our hostage.”
Raina nodded. “Thank you, Krysty.”
“You probably heard our conversation with your Chif Engner,” Krysty said. “We’d like a place for the three of us to discuss his proposal in private.”
“Of course,” the blonde woman replied. “Would you like something to eat, as well? You must be hungry after everything you’ve gone through.”
“Yes, thank you,” Krysty said.
“Let’s get you settled, and I’ll arrange for food to be brought,” Raina said as she began leading them through the ship again. This time, however, she showed them to a sparse but clean and comfortable room with two pairs of bunks against the walls.
“Wonder what got eat here,” Jak said once she was gone and they were sure no one was listening in. “Will be dirty like rest place?”
“If they’re as adept at fishing out of those holes in the hull as they were at catching us, then I’d wager more seafood is on the menu,” J.B. said. “Cooking it, however, may be another story.”
“That’s all well and good, but right now we have to figure out what we’re doing,” Krysty said. “If the situation is as the Engner said, then I have no doubt that the captain’s making the exact same offer to Ryan and the others as the Engner made to us.”
“So, what doing?” Jak asked.
“Who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong in this situation?” J.B. glanced over his shoulder, double-checking that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. “I say if these people want to destroy each other, let them—we don’t need to be involved. We agree to go along with their plan. Then we get up to the top decks, find the others, and get off this crazy boat.”
“Best idea since getting here,” Jak said as they heard a knock on the door. Krysty opened it to reveal Raina, along with another Downrunner, pushing mechanic’s carts that had been pressed into service as makeshift food carts, and covered with white cloths. Both were piled high with plates of food—grilled fish and seafood.
