Frank Schatzing - The Swarm

They walked up through the tunnel and into the island. Johanson had to make a real effort not to keep checking for hidden cameras and bugs. He knew he wouldn't spot them anyway. Instead he said brightly, 'Jude's right, of course. We mustn't be overhasty. I reckon we'll need at least a couple of days to figure it out, but what I was thinking was…'

And so he went on. He kept producing intelligent-sounding nonsense, all the while pushing Weaver gently out of the island and into the open. Gesticulating expansively, he strode out in front of her until he came to one of the helicopter landing points on the starboard side of the vessel. It was colder and windier than usual. A veil of mist had descended on the ocean, and the swell had increased. The waves rolled beneath them like primitive mammals, grey and sluggish, exhaling a dank salty vapour into the air. Johanson was cold, but an inner fury seemed to warm him.

'Sigur,' said Weaver, 'I don't know what you mean.'

Johanson turned his face into the wind. 'That makes two of us. Look, I don't suppose they can hear us out here – you'd have to go to extraordinary lengths to eavesdrop on the flight deck.'

Weaver peered at him in confusion. 'What are you talking about?'

I've got my memory back, Karen. I know what happened the night before last.'

'Have you found the door?'

'No. But I can guarantee it's there.'

He outlined what had happened. Weaver listened to him intently. Her expression didn't flicker. 'So you're saying we've got a fifth column on board.'

'Yes.'

'But what would be the point?'

'Remember what Jude said? We mustn't be too hasty. Think about it! You, Leon, Sam, Murray, me, Sue – and Mick, I suppose – we've all been working flat out to furnish them with a description of the yrr. OK, maybe we're kidding ourselves, maybe we've got it wrong – but on balance it doesn't seem likely. In fact, all the evidence suggests that we're right in our assumptions about what kind of intelligence we're dealing with and how it works. So why, after we've worked day and night are we supposed to slow down?'

'Because they don't need us any more,' Weaver said flatly. 'Because Mick's already working on it with another bunch of people in a different lab.'

'We're only here to supply the information.' Johanson nodded. 'We've served our purpose.'

'But I don't get it.' What project could Mick be working on that doesn't fit with ours? I mean, we don't have much choice – our only option is to try to make peace with the yrr. What else could he be aiming for?'

'Evidently there's a rival initiative, and Mick's playing a double game. But you can bet he's not in charge.'

'Who is, then?'

'Jude.'

'You were suspicious of her from the start, huh?'

'The feeling was mutual. I think we both realised early on that we're not the sort to be taken for a ride. There was always something not quite right about her – but I couldn't think of a single good reason for not believing what she said.'

'So what now?' asked Weaver.

'I've had time to clear my mind,' said Johanson, hugging his chest to keep warm. 'Jude's going to see us standing here. She's bound to be keeping tabs on me. She won't know for sure what we're talking about, but she'll be aware of the possibility that my memory might return. She's running out of time. That speech this morning was to get us off her back. If she's got her own plan of action, she's got to strike now.'

'In other words, we need to find out what they're up to as soon as we can.' Weaver thought for a second. 'Why don't we mobilise the others?'

'It's too risky. She'd notice straight away. The whole ship is bound to be crawling with bugs. They'd lock us up and throw away the key. No, if there's a way of pushing her into a corner, I intend to find it. I want to know what's going on here, and for that I'll need your help.'

'What do you want me to do?'

'Find Rubin and get him to talk, while I deal with Jude.'

'Any idea where he might be?'

'I expect he's in that shady lab of his. At least I know where it is now, but don't ask me how you get there. We'll have to hope he's kicking around somewhere else on the boat.' Johanson sighed. 'It all sounds like something out of a bad film, doesn't it? Most likely I'm the one who's cracking up. If it turns out that I'm paranoid, I'll have plenty of time later to eat my words. Right now, I mean to find out what's going on.'

'You're not paranoid, Sigur.'

Johanson gave her a grateful smile. 'Let's go back in.'

Walking through the island and down the ramp, they kept up a steady stream of soundbites about message encryption and peaceful dialogue. 'Well, I'm off to see Leon,' said Weaver. 'I can't wait to hear what he says. After lunch we'll get started on that program. Who knows? We may even have it running by this afternoon.'

'Excellent,' said Johanson. I'll catch you later.' He watched Weaver disappear, then climbed down a companionway to 02 LEVEL and went into the CIC, where Crowe and Shankar were sitting at their computers. 'What are you two up to?' he asked.

'Thinking,' said Crowe, from inside her usual cloud of smoke. 'Any progress with the pheromone?'

'Sue's in the process of synthesising the next batch. We must have about two dozen ampoules by now.'

'Then you're doing better than we are. We're starting to lose our faith in math. Maybe it isn't the path to salvation.' Shankar gave a wry grin. 'Besides, their arithmetic seems better than ours.'

'Any other ideas?'

'Emotion.' Crowe expelled the smoke through her nostrils. 'Weird, huh? Trying to appeal to the yrr's feelings – after all we know about them. But if yrr-emotion is based on biochemistry…'

'Like human emotion,' Shankar chipped in.

'. . . then the pheromone might be able to help us. Thank you, Murray. I don't need to be told that love is merely chemistry.'

'Felt any chemical attraction lately, Sigur?' said Shankar, idly.

'Right now I've got enough sparks flying of my own. You haven't seen Jude, have you?'

'She was in the LFOC just now,' said Crowe.

'Thanks.'

'Oh, and Mick was looking for you.'

'Mick?'

'He and Li were chatting, and then he said something about heading down to the lab. He left a few minutes ago.'

'Oh, good,' he said. 'He can help us synthesise the pheromone, provided he doesn't get any more migraines, poor guy.'

'He should take up smoking,' said Crowe. 'It's great for headaches.'

Johanson grinned and walked over to the LFOC. Most of the electronic data had been diverted there so that Crowe and Shankar were not distracted in the CIC. Low rustling noises, then the occasional click or whistle came from the speakers. The silhouette of a dolphin passed over one of the screens. Greywolf had evidently released the fleet again.

No sign of Li, Peak or Vanderbilt. Johanson checked out the JIC. It was empty, as were the other control and command rooms. He debated whether to look in the officers' mess, but he'd probably only find soldiers or some of Vanderbilt's agents. Li might be in the gym or her cabin. He didn't have time to search the whole vessel.

If Rubin was on his way to the lab, Weaver would flush him out. He had to speak to Li first.

Fine, he thought. If I can't find you, you'll have to find me. He made his way unhurriedly to his cabin, went in and positioned himself in the middle of the room.

'Hello, Jude,' he said.

He wondered where the cameras and mikes were hidden.

'You'll never guess what I just remembered. There's an extra lab above the main one. Rubin likes to go there when he's suffering from his migraines. Maybe you could tell me what he does there. Apart from beating up his colleagues.'

His eyes swept over the furniture, the lamps, the TV set…

'I guessed you're weren't going to volunteer the information, so I took a few precautions. If you're not careful, I'll tell the rest of the team what I've remembered, and there'll be nothing you can do.' That was laying it on a bit thick, but he needed to grab her attention. 'Is that what you want, Jude? Or how about you, Sal? Oh, sorry, Jack, I'd almost forgotten you were there. Any views?'