Deep Storm (32 page)

He turned to Woburn again. You have it here? Although the door was closed, he spoke in a tone even softer than before.

Woburn gave a slight nod.

Nobody saw you take it?

Only our own men, sir.

Excellent.

Woburn knelt beside the control console, reached underneath it, and extracted a slim case of black ballistic nylon. He handed it to Korolis, along with a key.

Do you want us to conduct a further investigation, sir? Woburn asked. Inquire whether any of the scientists saw anything, or anyone, unusual?

Theres no need for that, Chief. Ill take over from here and relay my findings to the admiral.

Very good, sir. And Woburn executed a superbly crisp salute.

Korolis regarded him a moment. Then he returned the salute and left the hyperbaric suite.

Koroliss private quarters were in a special section of deck 11 reserved for military officers. He stepped inside, then closed and carefully locked the door before moving toward his desk. The stateroom was dimly lit. Where others might have set framed pictures or light reading, Korolis had security monitors and classified manuals.

He placed the nylon case Woburn had given him on the desk, then unlocked it with the key. Unzipping the case, he reached inside and pulled out a laptop computer, badly scorched along one side.

The stateroom filled with the acrid stench of burnt plastic and electronics.

Korolis turned to his environmental control panel, put its airscrubbing filter on full. Then he took a seat and pulled the terminal keyboard toward him. He entered the password for his private computer, then entered a second, much longer passphrase to enter a secure area of the Facilitys military network, accessible only by him. Next, he loaded a forensic audio program of the type used by audio restoration engineers and wiretappers. Then, bringing up a list of files, he paged through the entries until he found the one he wanted. Loading this into the forensic program brought up a complex screen dominated by an audio waveform: a mono sound file captured by a tiny microphone.

Korolis plugged a pair of headphones into the computer. Then he adjusted the programs spectral filter to remove extraneous noise, boosted the gain, and clicked the playback button.

Over the headphones came Cranes voice, remarkably clear given the low fidelity of the surveillance microphone.

Before he died, Asher discovered somethingI know, because he told me so, over the phone. Its all on the laptop, he said. I need to get that laptop, find out what he discovered. Because he was desperate to tell me something, there at the end

Then came another voice: a voice the programs soundprint analyzer had identified as Hui Pings. Koroliss face darkened as he listened.

The secret to thats on his computer, Crane went on.

With a click of his mouse, Korolis stopped the playback. Another click closed the file and exited the program.

Korolis stood, carrying Ashers damaged laptop over to a far corner of the room, where a gray locker sat on the floor. Kneeling, he unsnapped its clasps, opened it, and pulled out a bulky object: a degaussing magnet.

Once again, he made sure the door to his stateroom was locked. Then slowly and deliberately, and careful to stay well away from his own computer he held the magnet close to the laptop, passing it over the hard disk. Even if it had survived the fire, this would certainly scramble its data beyond all recognition.

Crane and Hui Ping were serious security risks and one couldnt be too sure. This step was a start. And Korolis knew exactly what to do next.

Chapter 38

Cold Storage Locker 1-C, on the lowest level of the Facility, was a grim place. The temperature was regulated to a precise 38.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The flooring consisted of wooden pallets, placed over a bilgelike inch of cold, dirty water. The lighting was faint, throwing the claustrophobic space into heavy gloom. The air smelled of mold and butchered meat. The only sound was the faint dripping of water.

Admiral Spartan stood in the center of the locker, staring at the horribly mangled remains of Marble One. It hovered before him like a crumpled foil ball, lashed around by heavy chain and suspended from the ceiling by a large, cruel-looking hook. To one side lay the heavy blue tarp hed just pulled away.

What flaw caused this disaster? As a military officer, hed made it his lifes work to achieve victory by anticipating failure his own or an enemys and either forestalling or exploiting it. But how could you anticipate failure when you were working with a rule set that was utterly, incomprehensibly foreign?

It was true that, since Marble One had been destroyed, Marble Two and Marble Three had continued operations without delay. They had implemented the changes recommended by Asher and his scientific team, and there had been no further problems. If anything, the work was going even more swiftly than anticipated: the third, lowest layer of the crust had proven to be of a softer, almost siltlike material that could be excavated very quickly, and they were on track to reach the Mohorovicic discontinuity in days now.

Asher. The chief scientists warning, in the wake of Marble Ones destruction and the deaths of its crew, sounded again in the admirals head: My recommendation is that we cease all operations until we have a thorough understanding of what caused this disaster.

And now Asher, too, was dead.

There was a screech of metal behind him, and the door to the locker opened, throwing a stripe of yellow light across the dark interior. Commander Korolis who had a feline distaste for being either cold or wet wedged the door open and stepped inside.

Spartan glanced at him. Your report, Commander?

Korolis approached. The sprinkler system in the hyperbaric chamber was compromised. And the compressor was overloaded, causing an explosion and fire inside the chamber itself. No question about it: this was an act of sabotage.

An act of murder, Spartan said.

As you say, sir.

Spartan turned back toward the ruined Marble. This time, it seems a particular person was targeted rather than the entire Facility. Why?

I dont have an answer to that yet, sir. Perhaps we simply caught a break.

Once again, Spartan glanced over at Korolis. Caught a break, Commander?

In terms of the target. We were lucky the saboteur didnt go after a more strategic asset.

I see. And just how much more strategic an asset could we have than Dr. Asher?

Ashers usefulness to the project was growing questionable. Hed become a Cassandra, sir his talk of gloom and doom, his eagerness to derail the excavation schedule, wasnt good for morale.

Indeed. Spartan reflected that if Korolis had any personal failings, frankness was not one of them.

Thats my opinion anyway, sir. To be honest, Im surprised its not yours as well.

Spartan ignored the innuendo, instead waving a hand at the remains of Marble One. And what of this?

Tapes of the transmissions have been carefully analyzed, along with the black box from the Doodlebug. Unlike the hyperbaric chamber, theres absolutely no sign of tampering or foul play. Equipment malfunction, plain and simple.

Spartan fell silent for a moment, contemplating the obscene tangle of metal. Then he roused himself. Any progress on identifying the responsible individual?

Yes. Weve isolated one individual who was in both locations Outer Hull Receiving and the hyperbaric oxygen suite directly before the sabotage incidents took place.

And who would that be?

Wordlessly, Korolis drew an envelope out of his breast pocket and handed it to Spartan. The admiral opened it, gazed at the contents for a moment, then handed it back.

Dr. Ping? he said.

Korolis nodded. Her Chinese background always struck me as a little suspicious. And wasnt it your opinion, sir, that the saboteur must be in the employ of a foreign government?

She was thoroughly vetted, just like everybody else.

Things can slip through the cracks sometimes. Especially if somebody wants them to slip through badly enough. You know that as well as I do, sir.

Your recommendation?

That she be detained in the security brig until a thorough interrogation can be undertaken.

At this, Spartan turned toward Korolis, eyebrows rising. Isnt that rather precipitous?

The safety of the entire Facility hangs in the balance.

Spartans lips twitched in a small and bitter smile. What about her right to habeas corpus?

Korolis stared back in surprise. Under the circumstances, sir, thats not a consideration.

When Spartan didnt answer, Korolis spoke again. Theres something else. Remember Ashers last word, the one he repeated to Crane?

Spartan nodded. Whip.

What if he wasnt saying whip at all? What if he was trying to say Hui Ping?

Looking at Korolis, Spartans eyes narrowed.

Thats right, sir. Hui PHui P It sounds exactly the samewee P.

At last, Spartan roused himself. Very well. But theres no need for the brig. Just have her confined to quarters until the matter can be resolved.

Sir, with all due respect, I think the brig would be

Just follow orders, Commander.

There was a flicker of movement over Koroliss shoulder. Spartan glanced up to see Peter Crane standing in the open doorway.

Dr. Crane, he said, raising his voice a trifle. Dont stand on ceremony. Come join us.

Korolis turned quickly, sucking in his breath with a hiss of surprise.

Crane came forward, his short dark hair and dark eyes in sharp contrast to the white of his medical coat. Spartan wondered how long hed been standing there, and how much he had heard.

What can we do for you, Doctor? he asked.

Cranes gray eyes moved from Spartan, to Korolis, to what was left of the Marble, before returning to the admiral. I was looking for Commander Korolis, actually.

You seem to have found him.

Crane turned to Korolis. Those characters you have guarding the hyperbaric therapy suite told me to speak with you. I want Ashers laptop.

Korolis frowned. Why?

I think he discovered something just before the accident happened. Perhaps the meaning of the signals the sentinels are transmitting.

The laptop was severely damaged in the fire, Korolis said.

Its worth a shot, Crane replied quickly. Wouldnt you agree?

Spartan watched the exchange with curiosity. Clearly, these were two men who had very little use for each other.

Now Korolis lifted his gaze to Spartan, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

Very well, the commander said. Come with me. Its being held in an evidence locker.

Thanks. Crane glanced at Spartan, nodded, then turned to follow Korolis out of the locker.

Dr. Crane? Spartan said.

Crane glanced back.

If you find anything, report it to me immediately, please.

Very well.

Korolis saluted and the two men stepped out of the locker. But Spartan stood there in the chill air, looking thoughtfully after them, for a long time.

Chapter 39

Crane found Hui Ping in her lab, scrutinizing an absorption line printout and making notations on the pale green datasheet with a felt marker. She looked up as he entered, smiled.