Shadow Tyrants (Oregon Files 13)

“Now, before I go, what’s the status of the other Colossus ships?”

Chen blinked his eyes as he gathered himself, then looked down at his tablet computer.

“I just got a report from the captain of the Colossus 1. They had trouble with one of the prisoners brought to the ship from Jhootha Island and he had to be eliminated.”

“Which leaves how many?”

“Twenty-two.”

“And you still need them alive?” Carlton casually asked.

“They do provide some needed expertise until we’re completely operational. But they will be unnecessary after that.”

“Excellent. I don’t like having them around any longer than we have to. Where are the ships now?”

“They’re currently steaming north in the Red Sea, which puts them on schedule for the rendezvous.” Chen frowned at the report.

“What is it?”

“Just something odd,” Chen said. “When they were passing near the undersea volcano where the Colossus 3 went down, they spotted a ship loitering in the vicinity.”

That set Carlton’s teeth on edge. It would be cause for concern if someone was investigating the wreckage. “You said the Colossus 3 would be destroyed by the lava.”

“It will be if it hasn’t already. Besides, it doesn’t sound like anything to worry about.”

“Why not?”

“Steam from the volcano was shrouding the ship when they passed by, so they didn’t get a chance to see the name. But they could tell it was nothing more than an old tramp freighter.”

Carlton breathed a sigh of relief. If someone were actually trying to dredge up information from the Colossus 3 in such a hazardous location, they would send a state-of-the-art recovery vessel, not some old rust bucket.

FORTY-ONE

PORT OF MUMBAI

Although Mallik could have taken his yacht out to the designated coordinates in the Arabian Sea where his final Vajra satellite would be launched, he preferred the safety of his security vessel Kalinga. After the Nilgiri-class frigate had been decommissioned by the Indian Navy, Mallik had purchased and refurbished her to provide protection for his sea-based launch system. She currently used modern computer fire control systems for her twin 115mm cannons, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedoes, but the Kalinga was also fully operational even if her computers went down, a situation that Mallik anticipated in the very near future.

He had renamed her the Kalinga—and her sister ship the Maurya—to honor Emperor Ashoka and his creation of the Nine Unknown. This was before his current involvement with the Nine had corrupted Ashoka’s vision. The years when the Mauryan Empire had conquered Kalinga had fascinated Mallik ever since his father told him he would someday become one of the Nine Unknown. He wished he could travel back in time to the birth of Ashoka’s peaceful nation, but he would have to be content with the creation of his own empire, one he planned to rule with a similar grace and balance. Like all births, it would require pain and blood, but the result that he imagined would be a beautiful new era of civilization, one free from the specter of an artificial intelligence that could replace humanity.

Mallik took the laptop from his bag and sat at his desk to open it, noting the irony that this was one of the last few times he would be using it. He logged on to his network to review the status of the upcoming rocket launch and was pleased with what he read. According to reports, the launch platform and command ship were currently being resupplied and refueled while the Maurya patrolled the perimeter. All tests of the Vajra satellite had been passed with flying colors, so they should be able to launch as soon as the rocket was transferred to the launchpad.

The only problem was a monsoon that was sweeping across the Arabian Sea region where the launch was to take place. The weather team estimated that they would have to wait two days so the weather could clear. Mallik was annoyed by the delay, but he didn’t want to take a chance with this satellite. If it exploded on launch like the last one or crashed because of the storm, it would be months before he could send up a replacement.

A knock at his cabin door interrupted his reading.

“Come,” he said.

Torkan entered with a thin smile on his face.

“You have good news?” Mallik asked.

“You were right about Carlton’s location. His A380 is on Cyprus.”

Mallik nodded. “He has a home there. He must be cowering with a security team around him for protection.”

Torkan’s lip curled up as he nodded in agreement. “There is a cargo vessel being refitted in the Limassol shipyard. My sources say it fits the description of the Colossus 5.”

That got Mallik’s attention. “Do you think you can disable it again? We need more time.”