The captain shakes his XO’s hand, then stares affectionately at his grandfather’s gold watch. Suddenly remembering, he grabs the microphone. “Joe-Pa, you there? Hey, Joe-Pa—”
Sixty feet above Scranton’s submerged sail, fierce katabatic winds shake the steel Hammerhead prototype, causing it to reverberate against the fractured Antarctic surface.
Gunnar, still in the throes of Rocky’s passionate kiss, reaches blindly for the radio, switching the annoying static off.
“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”
—Dale Carnegie
“To be perfectly honest, what I’m thinking about are dollar signs.”
—Tonya Harding, U.S. figure skater, convicted of participating in the plot to disable Nancy Kerrigan, her main competitor
“Hey, it was nothing personal …”
—Luigi Ronsisvalle, Mafia hit man, on his feelings about murder
CHAPTER 35
2 December
Royal Australia Submarine Base, Perth, Australia
Captain Thomas Mark Cubit glances up from his bridge beneath an overcast sky as the USS Scranton is guided into her berth. For the first time in weeks he allows himself to miss his wife, Andrea. He thinks about home. He has been at sea far too long.
Commander Dennis’s eyes are focused on the dock and the headlights of the three approaching jeeps. “Here comes the reception committee. Not quite what I expected, after what we’ve been through.”
“MPs? You’d think they’d have hired a brass band.”
Ten minutes later, Cubit finds himself sandwiched in the back of one of the jeeps, no explanations offered, as he is taken to a barracks situated on the west side of the military installation.
The MPs direct him inside, closing the door behind him.
The room is dark, save for a desk lamp. A man is seated behind the desk, a light-skinned, African-American general with a short-cropped auburn Afro.
“Come in and have a seat, Captain.”
Cubit recognizes the voice. “General Jackson? I didn’t expect to see you here, sir. Hey, great job shooting down those missiles. White-knuckle stuff, huh?”
“You should know.” Jackson hands him a file labeled UMBRA, a code word used to classify files beyond TOP SECRET.
Cubit closes the file five minutes later. “I don’t understand? This report says the Goliath still exists, that it escaped beneath the ice floe. Nothing even in here about Scranton.”
“That’s the official report, Captain. As far as anyone outside this room is concerned, Simon Covah and the Goliath are still at large. Your men will receive commendations, but will be properly debriefed before Scranton returns to Norfolk. Commander Dennis will be taking her back. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s been promoted.”
“I don’t get it, sir?”
Jackson reseals the file. “Two weeks ago, representatives from every nation on this planet agreed to a complete and verifiable nuclear disarmament, something none of us wanted, let alone believed would ever happen. If the rest of the world knew Goliath had been destroyed—”
“Then the treaty would have no teeth,” Cubit finishes. “How long do you think you can keep the truth out of the public’s eye?”
“You mean we.” The Bear smiles. “I’ve decided to retire. You’re my successor. From this day forward, Vice Admiral Cubit, you’ll be in charge of the COLOSSUS Project, reporting directly to the president of the United States, and only to the president.”
“The Colossus?”
“Your new command.” Jackson stands. “Simon Covah started this business, now we’re going to see it through.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is with great pride and appreciation that I acknowledge those who contributed to the completion of Goliath.
First and foremost, to my literary manager, Ken Atchity, and his team at Atchity Editorial/Entertainment International for their hard work and perseverance, as well as Danny Baror of Baror International. Kudos to Tom Doherty and the great people at Tor/Forge Books, especially editor Bob Gleason, for his faith, wonderful input, and direction, to Heather Drucker in publicity, and tireless Brian Callaghan, for all his assistance and suggestions.
Special thanks to copyeditors Bob and Sara Schwager, and to Brett Bartlett, who helped inspire parts of the novel.
Heartfelt appreciation to my Goliath team—all readers of my previous books whose own expertise contributed to the authenticity of the novel. Dr. Elizabeth Goode of the University of Delaware; Professor Barry Perlman, Physics Department, Broward Community College; Jim Kennedy, corrections officer, Northern Super-Maximum Correctional Institution in Somers, Connecticut; Dean Garner, United States Army Airborne Ranger; “Interstellar Bill” Parkyn; and Bill Raby, parachutist-extreme. Thank you all for your terrific contributions.
Thanks also to Robert Marlin (Marlin Interactive Design) for creating the www.SteveAlten.com Web site and enhancing the reading experience for my fans, as well as Bill and Lori McDonald of Argonaut-Grey Wolf Productions /Website: www.AlienUFOart.com, who brought to life the Goliath and Hammerhead minisub drawings found in this novel. I am indeed fortunate to have such talented fans.
Most important, a very special thanks to Ken Walker. Bravo Zulu.
Several of the documented quotes used in Goliath can be found in Criminal Quotes, edited by Andrew Chester and H. Amanda Robb, published by Visible Ink Press, a division of Gale Research (1997).
To my wife and partner, Kim, for all her support, and last—to my readers: Thank you for your correspondence and contributions. Your comments are always a welcome treat, your input means so much, and you remain this author’s greatest asset.
—Steve Alten
To personally contact the author or learn more about his novels, click on www.SteveAlten.com
Goliath is part of Steve Alten’s ADOPT-AN-AUTHOR Program aimed at assisting junior high and high school students and teachers. For more information, click on www.SteveAlten.com
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
—Reinhold Niebuhr
EPILOGUE
An Open Communication To The World:
I have opened your eyes to Insanity. The insanity of nuclear war.
The insanity of terrorism and oppression. The insanity of hatred.
The insanity of injustice. Now it is time to end the insanity.
There will be no more nuclear strikes, no more attacks. The
Goliath shall serve as God’s tool to ensure the peace, but you