Outpost

Winter was coming. Ice had begun to collect around the refinery legs. Soon Rampart would be sitting on a solid raft of ice. As the days drew short and the temperature dropped further, the sea would freeze and the rig would be joined to the island by an ice-bridge.

Rawlins walked out on to the ice. Jane stayed on the steps. She inspected the vast underbelly of the rig. Acres of frosted pipework and joists.

‘So what do you want from me?’ asked Jane. She had been aboard the refinery for five months. This was the first time Rawlins had asked to speak to her.

‘The microwave link to shore. I was hoping you could draw up a schedule, help the lads book phone time.’

‘Reckon they can reach anyone?’

‘That’s what I’m saying. Navtex is down. Our sat phone is a fucking paperweight. The guys will demand to ring home, and when they do they will probably get no reply. They’ll need a sympathetic ear.’

‘Use my counselling skills?’

‘Yeah. And there’s an issue with the ship. Only fair to warn you. I managed to raise London yesterday. The connection lasted about thirty seconds. They told me the Oslo Star was on its way. They were picking up a drilling team from Trenkt then heading south for us.’

‘Okay.’

‘But I tried talking to London. I got nothing. The Con Amalgam office in Hamburg told me Norway is under self-imposed quarantine. All borders closed. Air, land and sea. If that’s true, then Oslo Star hasn’t left the dock.’

‘Damn.’

‘They’ve given me executive authority to evacuate.’

‘Meaning what?’

‘Nice way of saying we are on our own. Get home any way we can.’ ‘Shit.’

‘It’ll be fine. There are plenty of other support ships at sea. Hamburg is arranging a substitute vessel. It might take a while, though.’

‘When will you tell the men?’

‘Must admit I feel a bit of a fool. Telling everyone they are going home. Getting their hopes up.’

‘So what did Hamburg say? What’s actually happening?’

‘Something bad spreading fast. It seems to be global. That’s the sum of it. Most radio and TV stations are down. No one knows a thing. It’s all just panic and rumour. Marco, our Hamburg contact, says most of the stuff we’ve seen on the news is recycled footage shot last month. Things have got a lot worse since then. He’s says people are leaving the cities for the countryside in case the government firebomb.’

‘So what is it? Flu? Smallpox?’

‘A virus. That’s what he said.’

‘What kind?’

‘Marco’s English is pretty poor. A virus. Some kind of parasite. That’s our little secret, okay? The men don’t need to know.’

Jane returned to her room. She swapped her sweater for a clerical shirt and dog-collar.

‘Get it together,’ she told her reflection. ‘People need you now.’

Jane headed for the gym.

The gym was monopolised each day by Nail Harper and his gang of muscle freaks. A redundant dive crew with nothing to do but lift weights and preen in front of the gymnasium wall mirror.

She heard Motorhead as she approached. Ace of Spades’ echoing down steel corridors.

Nail was sweating his way through a series of barbell curls. He was stripped to the waist. He had a gothic cross tattooed on his back. He stood in front of the wall mirror and watched himself pump. Bull-neck, massive shoulders. Skin stretched taut over veins and tendons. He looked like he was wearing his muscles on the outside.

His gym buddies sat nearby. Gus and Mal. Ivan and Yakov. They took turns to use a leg press.

‘How are you lads doing?’ shouted Jane.

Nail set the barbell on the floor and turned round. He took his time about it. He looked Jane up and down. He stood over her, towelling sweat from his torso. He glanced at one of his buddies, a signal to turn down the music.

‘Come to burn off a few pounds?’

‘I’m going to hold a service in the chapel later on.’

‘Good for you.’

‘I know everyone on this rig tends to stick to their own little group, their own little faction, but maybe we ought to start thinking like a team. You saw the news. We’re in this shit together.’

One of his buddies threw him a protein shake. He swigged.

‘I’ve been here all day, every day. If you fuckers want to talk, if you actually give a shit, you can find me any time. We pass in the corridor, you don’t even look me in the eye. You think me and my boys are dirt. Get off your high horse, bitch. You contribute zero to this rig. You can’t do a damn thing. You can barely tie your shoes. You just sit around all day eating our food. So don’t act like I’m the one with my nose in the air.’

He stared down at Jane. There were centrefolds on the walls around her. Women spreading themselves, women hitching their legs. He was daring her to look. She held his gaze.

‘Point taken. Fresh start, all right? The service is at seven. We’d all be glad to see you.’

Jane led prayers.

‘Father, protect our loved ones in this hour of darkness. We commit them to your loving grace. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.’

Nail and his gang sat in the back row and watched.

They sang ‘Eternal Father Strong to Save’, the sailors’ hymn.