AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Aigua noted her reaction. As if reading her mind—and her heart’s desire—he said, “It is why I’ve requested that Captain Tse oversee operations at the trench. We need those seas locked down. Which includes commandeering the incoming research vessel—along with the site where it had been dispatched.”
Daiyu straightened her back. In her head, she pictured her decade-long plan to achieve the rank of admiral. Success here could bring the star and bars to her shoulders in half that time—maybe less.
Still, she wanted the scope and parameters of this mission better defined. “If there proves too much resistance or threat from those out at sea...”
Aigua understood what she was asking. “Make it look like an accident.”
Third
14
January 23, 7:46P.M.NZDT
Pacific Ocean, six hundred miles NE of Auckland
Phoebe Reed headed down the spiral stairs. It cored through the center of the thirteen-story glass orb, dubbed Science City. The sphere sat atop the stern end of the three-hundred-yardTitan X. Even at this hour, the place bustled with activity. More than a hundred researchers labored across the City’s state-of-the-art labs.
She had to keep side-stepping past other men and women on the stairs, all of them in matching navy jumpsuits. The only differences were the insignia that denoted their field of study, along with sewn-on name badges.
Ahead of her, Adam led the way with the DARPA scientist, Monk Kokkalis. She felt like a third wheel. The two men spoke rapidly, keeping their voices low. She heard mention of a museum and Singapore, but it was hard to make out their words amidst the clamor around her.
As they passed the fifth floor, Phoebe cast her gaze across the four passageways heading off in cardinal directions. Each hallway ended at the orb’s curve of glass, which offered expansive views of the Pacific Ocean. The hallway to the west was blinding, ablaze from the sun sitting low on the water.
Sunset was an hour away.
And I’ll be missing it.
They were due to embark on their dive in twenty minutes. Her groupwas returning from a safety class, which included a rudimentary practice session inside a simulator. Normally there would have been weeks of pre-dive preparations, but the situation was so dire that they were circumventing it. They wouldn’t even wait until the morning before departing—not that the time of day would make any difference once they descended into the sea’s sunless depths.
Phoebe’s group had arrived aboard theTitan Xin the early afternoon. It took the ship another two hours to reach the Tonga Trench. She had been ready to head immediately to the DSV—their deep-submergence vehicle. The submarine had been specially commissioned by William Byrd, who must have dug deep into his pockets to have the leader in submersible design, Triton Submarines, build a custom-made vehicle for the project.
Its pilot—who had ultimate command—had forced them all to spend the afternoon and early evening prepping for the mission.
But now we’re good to go.
She and the two men reached the bottom of Science City and crossed to an elevator. It would take them down to the stern hold, where the submersible’s launch-and-recovery system was mounted.
As they entered the cage, another scientist in a navy jumpsuit waited for them. His patch—a fish floating over the earth—marked him as a member of the biology team. She didn’t recognize him, which meant he must have spent most of his time aboard theTitan X.The Asian man looked to be in his late twenties. His jumpsuit hung on a bony frame that reached at best five-foot-two. Still, what he lacked in size, he made up for with enthusiasm.
His smile brightened the cage. He bobbed on his heels, as if trying to increase his height. He swiped a fall of hair from his eyes, only to have it drop back, nearly knocking off a pair of glasses from the bridge of his nose. He pushed the eyewear back in place and swept his gaze over them.
“You must be Drs. Reed, Kaneko, and Kokkalis.” He thrust out his hand, jabbing it all around, as if unsure who to offer it to first. His accent was distinctly British. “I’m Dr. Datuk Lee, a biochemist from the Universiti Sains Malaysia.”
Phoebe was the first to shake his hand as the elevator closed. “Wonderful to meet you, Dr. Lee, but how do you know us?”
She could guess the answer. Like any fraternity house, Science City was a rumor and gossip mill. The abrupt repositioning of theTitan Xto these waters was surely a matter of much excited discussion.
But that was not the answer.
“I’m replacing Dr. Ismail on your dive.”
Both Adam and Monk looked sharply at each other.
“What happened to Dr. Ismail?” Phoebe asked.
“She became ill. GI-upset. I was asked to take her place as I had already completed my DSV training. Plus, my specialty is piezophiles.”
Both Adam and Monk looked to Phoebe for an explanation.
