Goliath

“I did what I thought was best. If that answer doesn’t satisfy you, then inspect the engine room for yourself. Right now, we have more important things to talk about. As Sujan predicted, the Communists are still refusing to discuss Tibetan independence. Goliath will arrive at the maximum-range launch site at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. The Chinese have until noon of the following day to act.”

“The Chinese will wait until the last moment, then open dialogue with Tibet’s negotiators,” Sujan states. “Whatever is discussed will have no teeth, serving only to forestall our attack.”

“Simon is still planning on warning the residents of Quingdao?”

“Simon is not in charge, Abdul,” David says. “I am. To answer your question, warnings will be broadcast twelve hours prior to launch, just as we discussed. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Simon needs me in the surgical suite.”

Aboard the USS Scranton

Michael Flynn closes his eyes, straining to hear the ghost of a whisper over his headphones. The sonar supervisor and the other technicians remain focused on the green BSY-1 monitors.

The supervisor watches the signal evaporate. “Flynnie, you getting anything?”

Flynn shakes his head in disgust. “Sorry, Supe. She’s gone.”

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

—Oliver Wendell Holmes

“We’ve added another round to our bag of tricks … murder.”

—Harold Walter Bean, who murdered an eighty-one-year-old widow in order to receive an insurance payoff speaking to a friend

CHAPTER 24

14 November

Aboard the Goliath

The periphery of the surgical suite is dark, the room lit only by the banks of surgical lights blazing at the very center of the chamber.

“Sorceress, seal us in.”

The watertight door clanks shut and locks.

David approaches the operating table. Covah is standing next to the table, dressed in a surgical gown. “How do you feel?”

“Nervous. Excited. David, did I ever mention that I once tried to interface with the main frame at Cangen?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“They thought I was insane, but I had to try. There’s just so much to be learned—”

“And Sorceress will teach you. Now try to stay calm.”

“Of course. I feel the excitement an astronaut must feel on his first voyage into space. How is the crew?”

“Excited for you, very happy. And Mr. Chau finally showed up, drunk as a skunk.”

“I must speak to him.”

“No need, I’ve already handled it.”

Covah squeezes David’s hand. “Thank you. You’ve been a good friend.”

“And you will change history. Are you ready?”

“Yes. Sorceress, this is Simon Covah. I am transferring command of the ship to David Paniagua, authorization code Covah, delta-six-five-nine-ninealpha-zulu-ten.”

AUTHORIZATION ACCEPTED.

“Sorceress, Simon is ready to proceed with the interface. Instruct him.”

LIE DOWN ON THE TABLE. SECURE YOUR HEAD IN THE SADDLE. PLACE YOUR ANKLES AND WRISTS IN THE RESTRAINERS TO PREVENT MOVEMENT DURING THE PROCEDURE.

As ordered, Covah lies down on the padded table so that the back of his neck rests in a U-shaped section of padding that rises past his jawline. The fit is snug. He slips his wrists and ankles into the leather straps attached along the sides and end of the table, then takes a deep breath.

Situated high above his head is a mirror, angled so that he can see his scalp. On a small table to his left is a large, flat glass container holding hundreds of microwires. At the end of each wire, soaking in a trophic solution, is a minuscule piece of tissue, taken from the roof of his mouth.

Covah cringes as Goliath’s two surgical appendages come to life, swooping down from the ceiling to tighten his bonds. Electrodes are secured to his chest.

PULSE RAPID. BLOOD PRESSURE AND RESPIRATORY RATE RISING.

“I’m just a bit excited. Sorceress, it would be helpful if you described each step of the procedure before performing it.”

ACKNOWLEDGED.

The steel arm on his left swivels above his head, the multitooled palm rotating, stopping at a large syringe.

IN ORDER TO ACCESS PARTS OF THE BRAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR REGULATING PROTEIN AND ENZYME RELEASE, IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE UPPER PORTION OF THE SKULL.

“Understood.”

ADMINISTERING LOCAL ANESTHETIC TO THE SCALP.