Chapter 11

Lake Ontario, January 17, 2163
Fort Niagara Naval Station

The battered NSS Conrad finally made it home. The beleaguered launch ship was towed home with a 30° list to port, guided by heavy tugs. When the tremendous wave caused by the tungsten rod hitting the lake hit the Conrad, the enormous ship was lifted by the stern and the bow was driven deep underwater. Compartments flooded and seams split by the force of the monstrous wave. Two dozen sailors lost their lives and a half dozen spacemen were lost when a porthole gave way, flooding their control compartment.

Detectives Schultz and Duly waited patiently as the stricken ship was docked and the dazed sailors and spacemen were allowed ashore. “Got a report on that ugly Assault Landing Craft we found in NT Village,” said Detective Duly, as he looked at his tablet. “It was assigned to an Eastern Bloc boat called the Shining Dawn.”

“Hell of a cruise ship,” muttered Detective Schultz.

“All the cold bodies found were assigned to that ship too.”

“What do our friends at the Eastern Bloc embassy say about their trash littering my village?” asked Schultz.

“They say want they always say,” said Duly.

“ ... We don’t know nuttin.’” They repeated in unison.

Finally, a marine came up to them and said, “The captain is ready to talk.”

“Where’s he at?” asked Detective Schultz.

“Follow me sirs,” said the marine guard, and the marine led the detectives aboard through the maze of corridors and up several series of stairs to the hangar deck. There were several U-700 lunar shuttles laying smashed against a damaged bulkhead and a jumble of other aircraft were piled up against them. Dozens of men and women swarmed over the wreckage, disassembling the air and spacecraft, gathering what good parts they could find and setting aside the damaged parts. Cigar chewing petty officers directed the chaos. They continued upward to the flight deck, where Captain Christina Koch was standing among a group of engineers.

“Yes ma’am. As soon as we can get this list repaired and they get the locks on the Welland Canal working again we can tow her to Lake Michigan ma’am,” one of the engineers said.

“Thanks guys,” said the exhausted captain.

“Get some rest ma’am,” said an engineer as he patted the captain on the arm.

“I’ll have time to rest when we get underway.” The captain then noticed the detectives waiting to speak to her. As the engineers headed below deck, Captain Koch said, “Can I help you?”

“I hope so,” said Arvid Schultz. “Could you tell us the name of the person who was delivered just before you were hit.”

“You’re assuming that we were the targets,” said Christina.

“From our research, it’s starting to look that way.”

“How so?” asked the Captain.

“This person was staying at the home of Admiral and Colonel Scarlett while they were deployed. An ALS/ACP was deployed responding to a nine line at that location and the person was airlifted out of the house. Moments later a rocket blew the house apart. The ALS/ACP took the person to Thundering Waters which was destroyed before they could land so rather than set down, they came here which was hit...” he looked at his notes, “Two minutes forty-five seconds after a shuttle was launched. We don’t believe in coincidences, and we assume the person who was delivered to you was on that shuttle.”

The captain stared at Detective Schultz. You could almost hear the gears turning in her head. “Yes, she was on that shuttle. She fought with everything she had, but they got an environment suit on her and we sent her off.”

“She fought?” Asked Detective Duly.

“She did not want to go to space ... she...” the captain closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. “She was a survivor of Venus Prime and she was angry, she wouldn’t go without her dog.”

“Shit,” said Arvid under his breath. There are very few survivors of Venus Prime left. Many had died due to complications from their injuries, the others took their own lives. Admiral Scarlett was the most famous one, but mostly for his spectacular method of delivering water to Mars.

Duly looked up the list of survivors on his datapad. There were only two female survivors. “Barbara Morgan?” asked the detective.