David Golemon - Leviathan

Wallace looked around the control room as every hand present was starting to understand the depth of their betrayal. The serious-featured young man straightened and saluted Heirthall. When he saw his captain was too weak to return his gesture of respect, he slowly lowered his hand.

"Take the deck watch, that's six armed men," Meriwether said, his eyes never leaving Heirthall's dying form. "I have more items to give you, with your permission, Captain?"

Heirthall could only nod his head once.

Meriwether disappeared and went aft of the control center. He returned two minutes later carrying a leather satchel and pouch. The pouch he handed to Wallace.

"There is enough gold inside to get you, your men, Olivia, and the rest of the family back home. Enough to buy a ship if need be."

The boy nodded, looking guiltily up and around at the rest of the control room crew. He felt he was betraying the men he had come to love by leaving them.

"Pay attention, Lieutenant." Meriwether then handed him the small satchel. As the boy held it, the first officer opened it and pulled out some old and much-worn pages. "When you have the child back home, you are to guard her with your life. You will be in command of the base, the only officer left. The men are loyal to the captain until their deaths; they will be the same for you, boy, and to the girl if her mother and sisters are not recovered."

Wallace swallowed and looked at the captain, but Meriwether slapped the boy lightly.

"This" — he grasped the yellowed pages—"is her family legacy; this is who she is, where she came from." Then he held up another book. "This is the logbook of Leviathan . It is also for her. You will have to make the last entry. The plans and specifications for Leviathan are on the island with all the captain's research. Olivia will one day know what to do with them. The last pages are of the life form — these are not to fall into the hands of our American brethren. Is this clear?"

Peter Wallace looked at the pages and then the logbook. His frown deepened when he realized his responsibility.

"You tell her the story of what happened here this night. Burn into her soul the betrayal that took place. She will eventually know what to do. Her father's and grandfather's designs are locked away. She is to learn — learn the science, and the sea is where she will discover who she really is and why the family is who they are…. Do you understand, boy?"

"I will not fail the captain, sir."

"I know you won't, lad." Meriwether looked around as explosions rocked Leviathan . "Godspeed, son, now be off. Jump over the side when we make our turn. Take care of Olivia, boy — love her as I already know you do."

Wallace turned and made for the tower hatch, stuffing the pages and logbook into the satchel as he did. The eighteen-year-old boy never looked back.

"We are at sixteen knots and three hundred yards, Mr. Meriwether," the helm called out.

"Captain, your orders, sir?"

"Take me to… the tower, Mr. Meriwether," Heirthall ordered, and then went to his knees. Several men left their posts as they saw their captain fall.

"Attend your stations!"

All eyes went to the bald-headed Mr. Meriwether, who stood like a rock beside Heirthall.

"We have one last mission to perform for our captain. We will do it right!" he yelled in his Boston accent just as more iron shot struck their hull.

Meriwether assisted Heirthall to his feet, and they made their way slowly up the spiral staircase and into the green-tinted tower. The first officer walked his captain to the auxiliary ship's wheel, staying long enough to make sure he was steady.

"Thank you, Mr. Meriwether," Heirthall said as he leaned heavily against the mahogany wheel. "Inform the crew that any who so choose can depart Leviathan ." He closed his eyes in pain.

Meriwether saw the large pool of blood as it spread across the tiled decking. He was amazed that such an amount could be lost without death coming swiftly.

"Aye, Captain," he said as he turned and made his way back down into the control room.

Heirthall came close to losing his battle with consciousness as Meriwether's voice came across the sound-powered speakers overhead. When the dizziness passed, he looked around his familiar surroundings. He gently touched the handholds on the wheel, caressing them as he once had his beautiful wife. Sweat and tears of loss poured into his eyes, and he wiped them away with a swipe of his arm. Then he looked up and straightened as best he could as Meriwether returned. He saw his first officer cringe as a solid iron shot bounced off the exposed tower of Leviathan .

"The crew has been informed, Captain. The Union ironclads are drawing near, and the fog, I'm afraid, is lifting with the dawn."

"Do we have enough men to send Leviathan on her last mission?" Heirthall asked as he held Meriwether's gaze.

"Yes, Captain, we have the entire complement — minus the seven you sent over the side."

Heirthall listened to the words, but they could not be right.

"They—"

"— are following your last orders, Captain. They are your men."

Heirthall stood straighter and gripped the ship's wheel.

"Order flank speed, Mr. Meriwether. By the time we are a hundred yards off Mary Lincoln , I want Leviathan 's belly… rubbing the riverbed." Heirthall lowered his head. "I never wanted this…. They have… pushed me to it."

"The ironclads?"

"Target two of the new compressed air torpedoes on those fools," he said as a tear slowly rolled down his left cheek. "And Mr. Meriwether, will you thank the men for—"

"No sir, I will not. You do not thank those for doing their duty to a man who saved their lives repeatedly. One who gave those lives meaning."

Heirthall watched as Meriwether turned and shouted down the spiral staircase: "All ahead flank, stand by both forward-torpedo tubes, target the enemy ironclads with the new magnetic warheads!"

Belowdecks, men sprang into action just as the giant submarine lurched forward in the water. Her stern dug so low in the river that her main center propeller dug into the mud, sending a geyser of black muck a hundred feet into the air and announcing her intentions to all those on the river that fateful morning.

"My God, the madman is charging us!" the captain said from the bridge.

Stanton ran to the aft railing as the river erupted a thousand yards upstream. He held his hands to his ears as the two Union ironclads opened up a withering fire from their revolving turrets. They tried in vain to target the fast-moving submarine as it started its dive. The giant tower and triple rows of arched spikes were now the only visible sign above water that declared Leviathan was on her way. As they approached at more than fifty knots, the large bubble windows on the side of the tower were glowing an angry bluish-green, just as if they were the eyes of Heirthall himself.

Stanton backed away as the marines on deck started firing on the onrushing target. Then two explosions shook the Mary Lincoln on her keel. Stanton turned toward the tumult, staring in horror just as the two great ironclads blew up.

"What evil is afoot here!" he screamed, and then turned in anger. "Lieutenant, bring them out on deck and line them up against the stern railing. Make sure they are visible to this crazy fool!" he ordered.

The young marine ran below and disappeared. He soon returned with the four children and the wife of Captain Octavian Heirthall. The woman was calm, but Stanton could see the girls were frightened.

The small Frenchman was at Stanton's side. He pulled on the man's coat sleeve, ripping it.

"This is barbaric. You cannot do this — send the children over the side!"