فصل 3

chapter three: protocol and scheme

Cassy followed Maggie into the room, and the two women took seats next to Schema.

“Tell us everything you know,” the voice said. “Use the board.” Schema walked up to the whiteboard mounted on the wall on the west side of the room.

“Use the stylus. Just write. It will automatically record everything on my computer.” Schema lifted a silver, pen-like instrument. It beeped slightly when it touched the board’s surface. “This is what I know. First, the Joule always stays at least six hundred meters from any shore.” “It was docked in Peru when we sank the Ampere.” “I’m telling you the protocols I know,” Schema said. “Like I said, Hatch could have changed them. In Peru, it was likely that with the number of guards and ships in the area, Hatch felt invulnerable and got lazy and impatient, so he moved it in to load before crossing to Tuvalu.” “All right, so he’s human—almost. Are there any other exceptions to that protocol?” “During maintenance. But the Joule is only maintained in the Elgen shipyard.” “Where’s that?”

“Off the western coast of Italy, near Fiumicino.” “That’s a long way from Tuvalu.”

“If there was an emergency, they’d have to improvise.” The voice thought for a moment, then said, “We could create an emergency. That might be usable. Continue.” “Most of the time, the Joule stays partially submerged and only rises for supplies or when the crew changes, which is every three months.” “When is it due a crew change?”

Schema bowed his head to think. After a moment he looked up. “If they’ve maintained their schedule, then they changed crews just two weeks ago.” “That won’t help us. What about their supply schedule?” “The galley crew leaves the Joule on surface boats and handles the food and necessities. No non-crew personnel are allowed within three hundred meters of the boat. Ever. If the guards or land crew see any unknown person or if the crew reports anything suspicious, the land crew is abandoned and the Joule submerges. Everything is done by a strict schedule that is only known by crew and top Elgen brass. The only exception allowed is if the admiral-general visits. Or an EGG.” “How often do they do that?”

“They don’t, that I know of. But they could.” Schema lifted the stylus and wrote. “Number two, the crew constantly monitors the waters around them. If anything comes near, the boat submerges. I mean anything. It once submerged for a school of barracuda. Also, if there is an emergency onshore, it submerges.

“Number three, the Joule always travels with a battleship escort.” “This isn’t going to be easy,” Cassy said.

“Easy?” Schema said, smirking. “It’s impossible. I told you, she’s impenetrable.” Schema looked at them. “Trust me, the security is perfect.” “Nothing is impossible. Nothing is perfect. There must be some way.” Schema thought for a moment, then said, “The only chance would be with help from the inside. It would have to be someone high up.” “How high?”

Schema shook his head. “Hatch or an EGG. Nothing less. But you’ll never get an EGG. They’re the elite—sworn loyal to death. They’ll never turn.” “One already has.”

Schema looked at him disbelieving. “Hatch has lost one of his EGGs?” “His chief EGG,” the voice said.

“David Welch?”

“Yes.”

Schema’s brow fell. “That’s unbelievable. And Hatch hasn’t already killed him?” “Welch is on the run. For now.”

“Where is he?”

“If we knew that, we might not be having this conversation.” “Welch knows everything. If something had happened to Hatch, Welch would have taken over the Elgen. Welch could get you onto the Joule.” The voice thought a moment, then said, “All right, our priority has changed to find Welch.” He turned to Maggie. “Get me Simon at Christmas Ranch.”