Zero Hour

in on itself, like a bubble imploding at a great depth. A booming echo reverberated past them, and moments later a thin sheet of debris and water droplets pelted the Voyager like hail. But there was no fire, no heat. No angry flashing sea to be feared. Everything had gone dark and quiet.

At first, it seemed too good to be true. For a moment, no one spoke a word. Finally, Kurt asked the question on everyone’s mind: “Is it over?”

Hayley looked up at him and then back outside. The ship was rising and falling on the swells. The sea looked normal. The shuddering vibration was gone.

“I think so,” she said. “I think he did it.”

Kurt continued to stare. Gregorovich had done exactly what he said he’d do. He’d finished the job.

“Somebody point me to a radio,” Kurt said. “We need to find out if Australia is still in one piece.”

FIFTY-ONE

Eight hours after the explosion, the Voyager rendezvoused with the Gemini and the MV Rama. Kurt, Joe, Hayley, and the other survivors were taken aboard the Gemini to a warm welcome led by Gamay Trout, who’d never met a celebration she didn’t like. Amid the laughter, the iron words of Commander Matilda Wallaby were told and retold until Gamay was thoroughly embarrassed by it all. The story of Paul’s home-built turret and his bluffing of the MV Rama received similar treatment, and both were sure to go down in NUMA lore.

“Remind me not to invite you guys to poker night,” Joe kidded.

For his part, Kurt remained quiet. Too many lives had been lost on his journey to feel anything but relief that it was over. And late one night he made his way to the radio suite and used the Gemini’s equipment to make a long-distance phone call.

“Hey, Dad,” Kurt said as his father picked up the phone. “Hope it’s not a bad time.”

It had been half a year since Kurt had seen his father and months since they’d had anything more than a cursory conversation. Life might have been busy, but that was far too long.

While the rest of the ship slept, Kurt and his dad spoke of old adventures and made firm plans for new ones in the near future.

A few days later, they finally docked in Perth. Debriefing and interrogations for the Russian commandos and the MV Rama’s crew followed. Eventually, the Australians released the impounded ship and allowed the Russian commandos to leave by air. They were flown to Tokyo and from there to Vladivostok, where they were repatriated and no doubt interrogated further by their own superiors.

Attempts to recover anything useful from Heard Island proved futile. On a teleconference with Dirk Pitt, Kurt explained.

“They’ve used ground-penetrating sonar to study the area where the tunnels and Thero’s lab were located. There’s no sign of any open spaces remaining. We’re pretty sure the nuclear explosion vaporized Thero’s lab and everything in it. It seems as though the concussion wave blew apart the structure of the natural cave, causing whatever remained to compress down upon itself. The rock below is now radioactive and will be for some years to come. Making any attempt at study even more problematic, the tremors and the explosion caused the underside of the Winston Glacier to liquefy. It surged forward. Whatever might be left down there has not only been vaporized but is now buried under several million tons of rock and ice.”

On-screen, Pitt nodded thoughtfully. “Not altogether a bad thing.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Kurt said.

Pitt turned to Hayley. “A UN treaty is being drawn up, banning the study of this type of energy. The sensors you developed are going to be a big part of enforcing that ban.”

“Good to know I’ve done something positive for a change,” she said.

“You may have prevented millions of deaths,” Pitt replied. “It doesn’t get more positive than that.”

She smiled.

“It was close,” she said. “Apparently, they had a string of earthquakes out in the never-never. We’re still feeling aftershocks, but there are less of them each day. And the rift appears to be stabilizing.”

“Good to hear,” Pitt said. “Now, about these missing crates of diamonds. I’ve been asked by Cecil Bradshaw of the ASIO to inquire as to their possible whereabouts. As they came from Heard Island, they are, in fact, Australian property.”

Kurt, Joe, and Hayley nodded.

“Any idea what happened to them?”

“I heard a rumor,” Kurt said. “That Devlin—”

“Captain Devlin,” Joe corrected.

“That’s right,” Kurt said. “Captain Devlin and his intrepid first mate, Masinga, arranged for those diamonds to be divided up among the surviving miners and the families of those who were lost. But it’s just a rumor. And as Captain Devlin is no longer on Australian soil, I’m not sure it’ll ever be more than that.”

“Suits me fine,” Pitt said. He turned to Joe. “In other business, I have a new job for you, Mr. Zavala.”

Joe’s eyebrows went up. “I’m on vacation,” he said.

“By my calendar, your vacation just ended,” Pitt said. “And your first mission back on the clock is to fly out to Cairns and explain to poor Ms. Harrington of the Dooley Elementary School District why you disappointed her class and didn’t show up for their scheduled field trip out on the reef.”

“Was she angry?” Joe asked.

Pitt nodded. “Apparently. But she’s willing to forgive you if you’ll accompany her on an unsupervised field trip of her choosing. I believe you’ll be needing a dinner jacket.”

Joe sighed and then perked up. “The things I do for this agency,” he announced. “I really should be getting a PR check in addition to my regular pay.”

Kurt laughed. “Imagine that. All this talk about aliens, and a fifth-grade teacher is the one abducting you.”

“As long as it’s in the name of science,” Joe said.

Pitt laughed. “I’m proud of you all,” he said. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

As Pitt signed off, Joe turned to Kurt and Hayley. “I guess I’m out of here,” he said.

Hayley stretched up and hugged him. “Travel safely,” she said with a laugh.

“Shall do.”

Kurt embraced his friend. “If you’re still in Australia when I get back to that side of the country, I’ll look you up.”

“When do you think you’ll get there?”

Kurt glanced at Hayley. “Depends how long it takes to walk across the continent.”

Joe laughed. “I won’t wait up,” he said, and then ducked out the door.

Left alone with Hayley for the first time since they’d met, Kurt took her by the hand and kissed her.

“Come with me,” he said, leading her out into the hall.

“Where are we going?” she asked suspiciously.

“On a little trip,” he said.

She stiffened. “I think I’ve done quite enough traveling for a while.”

He continued leading her down the hall. “Your friend Bradshaw sent me some tickets to the rugby match at the Perth Oval tonight.”

She dutifully followed him but seemed confused. “Tonight, under the lights?”

He nodded.

It was just past noon. “Aren’t we leaving a little early for that?”

“Not really,” he said, “considering the form of transportation I’ve chosen.”

He opened the door for her and stepped outside. There, waiting by the curb, was a Victorian-style carriage with a docile chestnut-colored horse standing patiently in front of it.

“This is Inchworm,” Kurt said, patting the glossy brown animal on the shoulder. “I’m promised he’s the