“Asia? Could he be Chinese?”

“Yes, that’s a strong possibility.”

“Was he sick? Could he have had the virus?”

“Mr Vardy was kind enough to run a blood sample analysis on his fancy machine up in medical, and it came back clear. I’ve completed a forensic autopsy, and I conclude that decapitation was the cause of death. All the vital organs were functioning perfectly immediately prior. No diseases, no viruses, no visible injuries.”

“I suppose that means we can rule out a mercy killing then? It’s not like someone killed him because he was suffering terribly. It was a him, right?”

“Yes, adult male. I estimate mid-thirties. And no, unless he had a brain injury — which is something I cannot determine for obvious reasons — then there is no cause to believe he was suffering in any way. This was a slaying, pure and simple.”

“Like the others?”

“I think so. Those bodies were in a far more advanced state of decomposition, but not so much that they would have hidden anything serious. From the angle of the cut, and the way the spine was sliced, I believe the same weapon was used in all three cases. I can’t tell you what sort of weapon, not my specialty I’m afraid. But I’d lean more towards a long blade; a sword or sabre, rather than something like an axe.”

Jake sat down, stroking his chin with his left hand.

“Something on your mind, Jake?”

“We’ve picked up a signal. Another ship. We’re headed for it now.”

“Ah, so that’s what the town hall meeting was called for? I wanted to finish up here, which is why I’m not there myself.”

“Yes, that’s what it’s for. And now I’m thinking: someone has apparently murdered three people. Someone not from this ship. Is that someone on that ship? Are we on our way to go and pick up a bunch of savages?”

Seven

THE TOWN HALL meeting was turning ugly. The security team were doing their best to enforce some kind of order, but they were a small group against a lot of people with frayed tempers and strong views.

Dan Mitchell sat at the end of a row of seats, halfway back in the auditorium. He’d come as soon as the call had been put out announcing the meeting, not wanting to risk missing out on getting important news first hand. In the end there had been plenty of room and he’d regretted having arrived so early. It meant leaving Vicky on her own, and he hated leaving her alone. Especially now.

The announcement had not been what they had been hoping to hear. As he’d waited there, listening to those around him gossip and whisper before the meeting got underway, he’d imagined Captain Noah walking onto the stage and telling them that they’d found land; uncontaminated land. He knew it was unlikely, but that didn’t make it any less desirable. So when the news finally came that yes, there were probably other survivors, but that they were on a boat, Dan’s heart had sunk.

As matters started to get out of hand, he stood discreetly and made for the nearest exit. Under the rationing system, he’d lost a lot of his excess weight — more than most in fact, as he’d been missing out on two-thirds of his meals. Even so, he still had to squeeze his way up the side aisle in the semi-darkness, excusing himself and apologising as he went.

Outside at last, he went straight to the lift and punched the button for deck ten. As the floor beneath him began to rise he quickly jabbed out his finger again, ordering the car to stop at the next deck instead.

Out on deck six he walked the short distance to the Colaeus Restaurant where he entered a six-digit code on the door lock and went through to the preparation area.

Ration service had ended, and there were only a few stragglers left in the restaurant outside. Those who worked night shifts, or who were too old to be allocated to any team, or who were enjoying a rare day off. Behind the scenes in the preparation area too, most had left. A handful of young men and women were busy with the washing up, but Dan wasn’t interested in them. Instead he ducked into the tiny side office, where he was delighted to find Elizabeth Lethbridge. She was sorting out a stack of ration records.

“Hello, Dan,” she said without looking up.

“Hi, Mrs Lethbridge.”

“Not at the big meeting?”

“I was for a while.”

“Is it true then? What they’re saying, them lot out there? They seen another boat?”

“It’s true.”

“Well, bugger me. Big one is it? Like this?”

“No. Very small.”

“I suppose that’ll mean more mouths to feed.”

“S’pose.”

Dan stayed hovering in the doorway, saying nothing. Lethbridge finally looked up at him, peering over the top of her spectacles. She sighed, then tugged open a desk drawer and extracted two bread rolls. One had had a bite taken out of it. She tossed them to him, and he caught both in his large left hand.

“You’re in luck,” she said. “That meeting meant a few folks left early and didn’t finish those.”

“Thanks, Mrs Lethbridge. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“You could try,” she said, but with a wry smile.

Dan blushed and turned to leave.

“Dan! Come here a minute.”

He did as she said, taking a step back inside the office.

Lethbridge peered up at the window. Satisfied nobody was within earshot, she spoke in a loud whisper. “Listen. If they find people on that boat, they could be sick. You remember what it was like for us, with the virus?”

He nodded.

“If the doctors get overrun again, they won’t be able to help. Do you understand what I’m saying, Dan? She needs to see them. You have to take her to see them before we take anyone else on. That means today.”

He made a face, twisting and puckering his mouth into awkward shapes.

“I’m scared.”

“You think you’ll be punished? You know what? You might. And you know what else? You’re already being punished. You’re punishing yourself every day, living off scraps. The important thing is that she’s looked after, don’t you think? You have to take her, today. That Vardy chap is nice. In fact, if I were twenty years younger…” her voice trailed off. “Take her, Dan. Tell them. Before it’s too late.”

Dan nodded, and left before she could say any more.

• • •

Jake strolled into the classroom and was met with smiles and greetings from parents who had come to collect their children, as well as the teachers who were keeping an eye on those who remained behind. Lessons had finished half an hour earlier, but lots of children stayed on because their parents worked on teams, or simply because they enjoyed spending time with friends somewhere other than in a cramped cabin they called home.

The conference room was completely transformed. Gone was the dull beige corporate colour scheme, designed to be as inoffensive as possible to any group hosting events on the ship. It had been buried under drawings and posters, as well as maps and charts, bookcases, and even a sizeable aquarium that had been moved from one of the public areas.

He spotted Erica on the far side of the room. She was with her friend Andrea, sitting at a table, drawing a complex picture. When he got closer he saw that it was of two ships, one large and one much smaller alongside.

“Hi, girls,” he said.

“Jake!” Erica jumped up and hugged him. “We’re drawing the boat, the one with the new people on it.”

“Cool. How did you know what it looks like? We can’t see it yet.”

“We don’t know, silly. It’s just a guess. Miss Linders said that it was smaller than the Spirit of Arcadia. And I think it’s blue. Andrea thinks it’s red, which is silly, it’s obviously blue, but she didn’t believe me, so we were going to toss a coin to see who got to choose the colour, only we didn’t have a coin, so instead we tossed a piece of a jigsaw puzzle and I picked the side with the picture, and it landed with the picture showing, so I won, so we’ve drawn the ship blue.” The young girl took a deep breath, then broke out in a smile, erasing the serious expression she had until then been wearing.