“As soon as we get the generators working, we can—”
Before the colonel could finish his statement, the lights inside the stairwell flared to brilliant brightness. Every man stopped and looked around. They all heard the far-off mechanical sounds and the generators running. Bilge pumps cranked to life, and the flow of bilgewater started spewing from the side of the Simbirsk. Jack managed to look behind him at Jenks, who just shrugged in ignorance as to how the lights could have come on without anyone turning them on.
“Perhaps your claim on international salvage rights has just been denied, Colonel Collins. It seems she may have not been abandoned after all,” Salkukoff said as he continued downward. Both the Russian and Collins himself were aware that maybe they should have brought along the bulk of their men instead of leaving them to glare at each other above deck.
As they traveled down the eight decks to the engineering spaces, they all felt the power around them. Every once in a while, the hair on their arms and necks would gently rise as if an electrical current were swirling around them.
In the back of the line of men, Jenks turned to the smaller Russian professor. He tossed the cigar away and fixed the gray-haired man with a fierce look.
“From my understanding, Doc, you were thought to hang out with better people than this current staff you have. What in the hell happened to you?”
Gervais looked sheepish at first, but when he saw that the Russian colonel and his men — with the exception of the Russian rear guard behind him and Jenks — were far enough away, he leaned toward Jenks and spoke in low tones.
“Things are changing in my world, Mr. Jenks. Some would say not entirely for the better.”
Jenks let the Mister pass without comment since he knew the good professor didn’t know navy protocols. He did, however, pop a fresh cigar into his mouth as his eyes went from Gervais to the Russian commandos who were following. He lit the cigar and said nothing as the professor pushed by him as if the conversation might have already gone too far.
“Things are a little squirrely around here,” he said as the trailing Russian commandos gestured for him to continue forward.
The line of men stopped at a double set of heavy steel doors. None of the professional navy men had ever seen hatchways such as these on a warship. It was as if they were made to keep something out — or in. Salkukoff spun the heavy locking wheel until it stopped. They all noticed that it had turned as if it had been greased just yesterday.
“Jenks,” Jack said quickly as he held his hand out and stayed the doors from opening. The Russian turned with raised brows.
The master chief, with Ellenshaw in tow, stepped forward, and Charlie dipped into a large duffel and produced a small device. Jenks held out a Geiger counter. He listened, as did the others, with great interest. Without a word, Jenks held his hand out behind him, and Charlie placed a small ball-like device into his hand as he accepted the radiation counter back from Jenks.
“You wanna step back, comrade?” he said as he eyed Salkukoff at the supposed insult by the master chief.
Jenks eased the right side of the double steel doors open and tossed in the small ball. They all heard it clatter to the steel deck as Jenks quickly slammed the door closed. The master chief leaned against the cold steel and then silently counted as Charlie brought up a small computer and then started taking readings. The ball was the invention of the Nuclear Sciences Division and was designed to sniff out radiation and deadly chemicals such as anthrax and other dangerous substances. The sniffer began working.
“The counter shows nothing. No radiation.” He looked at his wristwatch. Then he looked at Charlie Ellenshaw. “Well, Doc?”
“The sniffer is clear. Zero.”
Jenks turned and then opened the door and then gestured for the Russian to enter.
“She’s clean. No rads and no chemical contaminant to speak of.”
“That would be impressive, Master Chief, if our science back in the ’40s was as advanced as you seem to think. Why would this ship have radiation permeating the air?”
Jack walked easily past Salkukoff and stepped inside the engineering spaces. “Then I take it you understand just where this ship has been for all these years, Colonel? Maybe the place it has been is a radiation-filled area. Have you thought of that one?”
A smirking Jenks and Charlie pushed by the silent Russian. The good professor Gervais was next.
“Apologies, Colonel. I never thought of that,” the small, portly professor said in passing.
Salkukoff watched as the line of men entered the spaces. His eyes settled on the back of Jack Collins. He held his temper and stepped inside. He walked past Gervais with a small nudge.
“Don’t embarrass me again, Doctor.”
Jack and the others stopped as they came to the center of the room. Far beyond was the hatchway leading to the engine spaces. He nodded at Jason Ryan and two of the marines. “Go see what shape the power plant is in.”
“Go with them,” Salkukoff said to four of his own men. He gave Jack the briefest of smiles.
“What in the hell is that?” Jenks asked loudly enough for all conversation to stop.
Collins and the Russian colonel turned and saw what Jenks was seeing. Along both sides of the space was a thick glass partition. Behind that glass, only inches from the outer hull, was what looked like large lightbulbs. At least a million of them crowded the space. They looked to be situated on a conductive pad of ceramic. Wiring of every thickness ran from the ceramic platform to large consoles of dead indicator lights. They saw the workstations for at least fifty engineers. On the front of the twin aisles of electronics was what looked like a power generator. What was most disturbing to all was the fact that the stations looked recently occupied. Coffee cups with black coffee still inside, and tea glasses with the liquid still in them were everywhere.
“No dust, rust, or rot of any kind,” Charlie said as he picked up one of the glass teacups. The pewter stand that held it looked brand new. He quickly replaced it on the console he took it from. He saw a piece of bread on a small saucer and poked at it with his index finger. While not exactly fresh, it was still edible. He pulled his hand away and looked at the other faces of interest around him.
“The damn thing looks as if it were launched yesterday,” Everett said as he and Jenks looked closer at the workstations around them. Ryan picked up a clipboard and examined the Cyrillic writing.
One of the Russian commandos stepped forward and took the clipboard from Ryan’s hand. Jason looked angry but held his temper when Salkukoff stepped forward.
“Until we can get things worked out, we would rather not share much information. You understand, Colonel?”
“Shiloh to Colonel Collins. Shiloh to Collins, over,” came the voice of Ezra Johnson over Jack’s radio. At the same time, Salkukoff also got a call on his own walkie-talkie.
“Collins, go.”
“Colonel, CIC is picking up a spike on our infrared monitors. Sea temps have risen six degrees in the past ten minutes. Over.”
“Peter the Great has the same information. That combined with your Aegis defense system makes the information almost an absolute.”
Jack looked up at Salkukoff. “The timing of these spikes coincides with the lights coming on.”
“I think we can chuck coincidence out of the freakin’ window,” Jenks added.
“Chuck?” Professor Gervais asked.