Voyage of the Dead - Book One Sovereign Spirit Saga (23 page)

            “Yeah, but I don’t like it.”

            “You don’t have to like it, but would you go along with it?”

            “How would you do it?” asked Captain Fisher curiously.

            “Well,” pondered Scott.  “We could start by disabling the engines.  She won’t be much use to the Navy as a barge.  We would still be able to live aboard her, even maneuver a little with the bow thruster, and use the
Expiscator
and the express cruisers to tow her slowly.  So we could probably get her to a safe anchorage.  If the Navy didn’t let us come to California, which I doubt they would after we did that, we could limp over to the coast of Baja and make the best of it.  We’d still have use of all the tenders, vehicles and aircraft.  It wouldn’t be ideal, but we could probably survive. 

“So disabling the engines would be my first threat, and I’d follow through with it too, if I had to.  If they were still intent on seizing her, I’d threaten to scuttle her and abandon ship.  I’m not sure that I would actually do that, but I’d want the scuttling charges in place to show them I was serious.  And I would need your commitment to back me up, at least to the last possible moment, by refusing to turn over command to them.  So, what do you say, Jordie?  Can I count on you?”

            “I’ll have to think about some of that, Scott,” replied Captain Fisher slowly.  “For now, you can count on me to support your bluff.  And possibly even disable the engines, although I’d like to do it in a way that we, and only we, could repair them eventually.  Maybe remove and hide some critical parts that they wouldn’t be able to replace easily under the current circumstances.  But I can’t promise to let you sink this ship.  There would be too much danger to the passengers and crew.  And to tell you the truth, the
Sovereign Spirit
really is too valuable to destroy.”

            “Good enough,” said Scott with a smile. “As long as you agree not to turn over command to them freely and to back me up to that point, I’ll just have to hope that they don’t call the bluff.”  Scott rose and went to shake Fisher’s hand.  “Maybe I’m worrying about nothing, but the way things are going now, I just can’t help thinking the worst.”

            “There is one other thing we can try,” said Captain Fisher.  “Dr. Frost at the CDC sounds like he really wants you to rescue that scientist up in Malibu, right?”

            “Yeah, he sounded very serious about it when I spoke to him,” agreed Scott.

            “So why don’t we try to get through to him again, explain that the Coast Guard and Navy are trying to turn us back or even commandeer our ship, and ask him to email a letter from the CDC.  Something like a letter of safe passage stating that we are on a vital mission that could contribute to finding a cure.”

            “Hey!  That’s a brilliant idea Jordie.  Let’s try it,” Scott confirmed with a grin.

*****

            The Navy’s radioed response came within an hour.  An exception to the exclusion and quarantine zone would be granted.  The
Sovereign Spirit
and her little flotilla would be allowed to approach Southern California under escort by the Coast Guard cutter
Stratton
.  They were
directed
to head straight to San Diego, where a
discussion
of their
intentions
would take place.  Somehow this message did nothing to calm Scott’s nerves.  In fact, the idea of sailing into San Diego harbor began to sound like a lamb walking into the butcher shop.  It was time to prepare for the worst case scenario.  Scott asked Captain Fisher and the chief engineer, Paul Lunt, to meet him in the Engine Room to plan some mischief.  

            “Okay,” said Scott. “We need to prep some demolition charges.”

            “What do you mean?” asked Mr. Lunt.

            “We need to be prepared to disable the engines, in case the Navy wants to take this ship away from us,” Scott explained.  “So I want real demolition charges planted on the port and starboard engines.  Somewhere that will make a big bang and take them out of action, but not blow up the whole ship.  Then I want to shut down the center engine and remove some critical and hard to replace parts.  We’ll hide them and plant some more explosives to destroy the hidden parts if that becomes necessary.  The idea is to convince the Navy that this ship will never be useful to them if they try to take it away from us by force.  Got it?” 

            “You want to blow up my engines?” asked Paul with a desperate tone in his voice. 

            “They’re
my
engines,” replied Scott with a voice of steel.  “And I don’t
want
to blow them up.  But I will, if that is what it takes to keep possession of this ship. 
My
ship.  Understand?”

            “Yes sir,” Paul answered.  “But do we have to do it for real?  Can’t we try to fake them out first?”

            “What do you have in mind?” asked Scott.  He prided himself on always being open to others’ ideas.  “Is there something critical you could blow up and easily replace later?”

            “Yes, sir, I think there is,” replied Mr. Lunt.  “The transmission gears.  The ones for the port and starboard engines aren’t even made anymore except by special order.  We replaced them at great expense last year, if you recall.  But I saved the old gears as emergency spares because they still had a little life in them.  So I can reinstall the old ones and hide the new ones.  Then we could destroy the old ones without damage to the actual engines, if we have to.”

            “Brilliant!” said Captain Fisher.  He glanced at Scott, who nodded, and confirmed his initial reaction. “Do it.”

            “What about the new engine?” Scott asked.  “What can we do convince them it’s toast too?”

            “Well,” replied Mr. Lunt, “We could blow the transmission on that one too, and I do have a spare.  But they might have some in San Diego too.  It’s brand new.  Off the shelf in a major harbor with ship yards like San Diego.  I’d recommend removing the computer controls and only destroying them if you have to.  I have some spare components for that CPU, but only the factory in Taiwan could replace the whole rack.  Without it, that engine is toast too.”

            Scott and Captain Fisher exchanged glances again.  That new engine was precious.  A quarter million dollars worth of precious.  Irreplaceable now.  And it gave the
Sovereign Spirit
her best endurance cruise range.  Using only the center engine, the ship could travel at 8 knots for close to 9,000 miles on a full tank.  Without it, their best range was 6,000 miles using both of the other engines at 12 knots. Together the three engines gave a best range of about 7,000 miles at 15 knots. Maximum speed on the center engine alone was 12 knots for 6,000 miles.  Max speed on all three engines was 22 knots for 4,500 miles.  These calculations used to be economic.  Now they may have become critical matters of survival.  Either way, the center engine was the most critical.

            “Can you make a dummy rack for the center engine CPU?” asked Scott.  “One that we could blow up on video if we had to and would pass at least casual inspection by the Navy later?  Then hide the real rack?”

            “Sure, if I use some of the spare parts to make it look real,” said Paul Lunt. “How much time do I have?”

            “About eight hours,” said the captain.  “We’re going to join up with the Coast Guard cutter before we aim for San Diego and until then we will shut down the port and starboard engines, so you can replace the transmissions.  We’ll run on the center engine until you finish replacing the other transmissions, then switch over to them to give you time to play with the center engine’s computer rack.   We’ll be making about 10 knots the whole way and we don’t want to arrive until daylight anyway.  Then I think we’ll have to find some reason to remain outside the harbor.  Then we bargain.  Then we bluff.  Then we see if we have to follow through.  Does that sound about right, Commodore?”

            Scott was startled when Captain Fisher called him that, but realized that Jordan would need to start thinking that way.  If he was going to be able to justify deceiving and possibly defying the Navy he had served for so many years, Captain Fisher needed to consider Scott his commander – his Commodore.  

            “Yes, captain,” replied Commodore Scott Allen.  “Make it so.”

*****

            As they steamed ever closer to United States border, Scott went back up to his own master suite on the Sky Deck to spend some time with his wife and see what type of news was still available on the satellite TV.   Michelle was busy painting a seascape in her well lit and fully equipped art studio.  Her gifted artwork was an outlet that had kept her from fixating upon the horrors that were engulfing the world beyond their secure domain aboard the luxurious ship. 

            “How you doing, honey?” asked Scott as he entered the studio.  “That looks beautiful,” he continued, referring to the vivid colors of a sunset above a breaking wave that flowed gracefully across the canvas with apparent ease.  She was a natural artist, whereas Scott could barely doodle, and her paintings had recently been selling for tens of thousands of dollars in prestigious art galleries.

            “I’m okay,” replied Michelle.  “How about you?  I heard about the Coast Guard.  Will they let us pass?”

            “I’m still not sure, baby.” Scott replied honestly.  “They say we can go to San Diego, but I’m a bit worried that they won’t let us leave.  They might even try to take the ship away from us.”

            “What?  They wouldn’t dare!  Would they?” Michelle asked appalled.  

            “Well, they might,” Scott admitted. “But I’m working on a few schemes to prevent it.  Right now I want to check the news.  We should be close enough to receive any local TV or radio broadcasts still coming out of San Diego now.  I need to get a handle on what we are sailing into.  Want to take a break and join me?”

            “Sure,” Michelle said as she carefully laid down her brush and pallet.  “This needs to dry before I add another layer of color to the clouds anyway.  How’s everyone else holding up?”

            “Billy and his friends are still focused on getting information from the internet and contacting more survivors.  I’ve asked them to start looking for news from San Diego online too.  A lot of the other people are watching the news on GNN down in the aft lounge.  Some are drinking a bit more than they should, but I can’t blame them.  Your brother has been spending a lot of time in the bowling alley.  He’s organized a crew to put up some thick wood and drywall barriers backed by steel plate above the pins.  I’m going to turn the bowling alley into a firing range, so everyone can get some practice shooting guns before we face any zombies.”

            “That’s a good idea,” Michelle agreed.  “I want to learn how to shoot too.”

            “Absolutely, honey,” Scott confirmed as they walked into their bedroom and he reached for the TV remote control.  “Everyone needs to know how to defend themselves now, but I don’t want you or the kids going ashore any time soon.”  He turned on the TV and flicked through the input options until he found
digital broadcast
.  Most of the channels were off the air, or showing only a test pattern, but then he came across one that was still live.

“…last reported locations of protected shelters are outdated.  There has been no contact with any shelter south of Balboa Park since yesterday.  The 40
^th
street Navy base has been evacuated.  All of the active ships have left the docks and appear to be anchored out in the bay, or docked at Coronado.  Survivors trying to reach those ships on small boats have reportedly been fired upon.  We have confirmed that the Navy is not accepting any more civilian refugees aboard their vessels.

“The Marine Corps Recruit Depot has also been evacuated.  The Navy and Marines have consolidated their lines on Point Loma and Coronado Island.  The Coronado Bridge is closed and fortified.  The east half of the bridge is flooded with zombies and the bodies of former zombies.  Marines and Navy SEALS are holding the center of the bridge with constant gunfire and there is discussion of blowing up the center span to permanently secure the island.  Do not attempt to cross the bridge.  It is impossible.

“Numerous water-taxis and harbor cruise boats that have been commandeered by the Navy are still ferrying survivors across the bay to Coronado from secure docks on Shelter Island, Harbor Island and Seaport Village.  The Hotel Del Coronado is the largest active shelter in the San Diego area, but it is overflowing with refugees and new arrivals are being placed into tents provided by the Navy.  

“Navy SEALS and military police continue their house-to-house search throughout Coronado to exterminate any infected persons on the island.  The Marines are concentrating on fortifying their lines across the Silver Strand, preventing the infected from entering Coronado from the south. Heavy equipment is working behind their fighting lines to construct a permanent defensive wall and a water-filled channel between the ocean and the bay. As noted previously, zombies are afraid of bodies of water and do not swim.  The new moat should hold back the press of infected coming from the South Bay and Imperial Beach, as well as those reported to be coming up from Mexico.