Goliath

Gunnar and Rocky enter the galley, the remaining five members of the crew already seated inside. Sujan Trevedi nods as they sit on the bench opposite the African Kaigbo, and the older Albanian physician, Tafili.

The two Kurd brothers enter from the kitchen. The older Arab, Jalal, looks over at Rocky—and blows her a kiss.

Gunnar flashes a look to kill.

David is the last to arrive. He takes his place at the head of the table. “Simon won’t be joining us tonight, he’s working late in the lab. In fact, it seems we have some tremendous news: Simon has found a treatment for his cancer.

Murmurs of excitement from the group.

“Fantastic,” Tafili says.

“The procedure will require some … invasive surgery. Sorceress is ready to proceed.”

“I want to be there with him,” Tafili insists.

“No,” David says. “Simon wants no visitors.”

“Someone needs to be with him,” Tafili says.

“I’ll be there. Everything’s already set. While Simon’s recuperating, I’ll be in command of the Goliath.” David’s expression turns dour. “Unfortunately, I also have some bad news to share with you. It’s so upsetting that I … well, I don’t know any other way to say it than to just blurt it out. Mr. Chau has been murdered.”

Gasps from the crew.

The Kurds turn toward Gunnar.

“No,” David says, “it wasn’t Gunnar, it was Taur Araujo. The attack took place in the engine room several days ago. Sorceress reports that Mr. Araujo had been drinking heavily when he confronted the engineer. An argument ensued, and quickly turned violent. Taur stabbed Mr. Chau in the throat, then hid the body under the water treatment equipment adjacent to reactor number three.”

“Where’s Taur now?” the older Kurd asks.

“Dead, from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Sorceress woke me an hour ago to inform me that Mr. Araujo had taken his own life. I found both bodies in the engine room. There is blood everywhere.”

Murmurs of disbelief.

“Show us the bodies,” Kaigbo insists.

“I can’t. The sight was too gruesome. I felt it best for morale’s sake just to allow Sorceress to dispose of both bodies.”

“David, how can we—”

“How can you what, Sujan? How can you believe me? You think this is something I’ve concocted? We have a witness, a witness incapable of lying.” David stands, glancing above his head at the scarlet eyeball. “Sorceress, inform the crew who murdered Thomas Chau.”

TAUR ARAUJO.

“Where are the bodies?”

THE BODIES OF THOMAS CHAU AND TAUR ARAUJO WERE EJECTED INTO THE SEA.

The African appears visibly upset. “Why didn’t your computer inform us about this earlier?”

“Sorceress has been programmed to run the ship. It was not programmed to interfere in squabbles among the crew. It does not understand the concept of murder. It’s a machine.”

“What happened in the Mediterranean?” the younger Kurd asks. “Why wouldn’t the computer obey orders?”

“The confusion was entirely Simon’s fault. Having sunk the Ronald Reagan, Sorceress assumed it had standing orders to attack and sink all aircraft carriers.” David paces slowly around the dining table. “All of you are upset, and so am I, so is Simon. He and Chau worked together for six years. Unfortunately, Thomas and Mr. Ali were not very … politically compatible.”

Sujan nods. “It’s true, they quarreled often. Thomas did not like the presence of a mercenary aboard the ship.”

“This is hard to believe,” Abdul Kaigbo says, shaking his head. “You should not have disposed of the bodies so quickly.”

“I did what I thought was best. If that answer doesn’t satisfy you, then inspect the engine room for yourself. Right now, we have more important things to talk about. As Sujan predicted, the Communists are still refusing to discuss Tibetan independence. Goliath will arrive at the maximum-range launch site at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. The Chinese have until noon of the following day to act.”

“The Chinese will wait until the last moment, then open dialogue with Tibet’s negotiators,” Sujan states. “Whatever is discussed will have no teeth, serving only to forestall our attack.”

“Simon is still planning on warning the residents of Quingdao?”

“Simon is not in charge, Abdul,” David says. “I am. To answer your question, warnings will be broadcast twelve hours prior to launch, just as we discussed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Simon needs me in the surgical suite.”

Aboard the USS Scranton

Michael Flynn closes his eyes, straining to hear the ghost of a whisper over his headphones. The sonar supervisor and the other technicians remain focused on the green BSY-1 monitors.

The supervisor watches the signal evaporate. “Flynnie, you getting anything?”

Flynn shakes his head in disgust. “Sorry, Supe. She’s gone.”

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

—Oliver Wendell Holmes

“We’ve added another round to our bag of tricks … murder.”

—Harold Walter Bean, who murdered an eighty-one-year-old widow in order to receive an insurance payoff speaking to a friend

CHAPTER 24

14 November

Aboard the Goliath

The periphery of the surgical suite is dark, the room lit only by the banks of surgical lights blazing at the very center of the chamber.

“Sorceress, seal us in.”

The watertight door clanks shut and locks.

David approaches the operating table. Covah is standing next to the table, dressed in a surgical gown. “How do you feel?”

“Nervous. Excited. David, did I ever mention that I once tried to interface with the main frame at Cangen?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“They thought I was insane, but I had to try. There’s just so much to be learned—”

“And Sorceress will teach you. Now try to stay calm.”