Free Noah's Ark: Contagion by Harry Dayle Page A

influenza, or even e-coli, then it would be a trivial task to detect. But once we step outside of the everyday, we are in the dark.”
    “Is the Ambush better equipped?”
    “Sadly not in that respect. They have a similar capability to our own. I will take the opportunity to speak with Surgeon Lieutenant Vardy; perhaps he has seen this condition or something similar. That is the best I can hope for.”
    A thought occurred to Jake. “Grau, get on to Silvia and have her check the census. You’re overstretched. We’ve been so focussed on creating the farming, fishing, and cleaning teams that we haven’t even begun to look at expanding medical yet. With three thousand people on board, there have to be doctors, nurses, all sorts. Get yourself some staff, Grau.”
    “More hands on deck would be most useful, I must admit.”
    “Great, do it. Keep me posted if anything important happens.”
    • • •
    “…Five six seven eight!”
    Music blared out of speakers the size of garage doors. A thumping bass line made the walls vibrate. Six lines of ten people leapt into action, swinging arms and legs in time to the beat. At the front of the huge and brightly lit gymnasium, Entertainments Manager Barry Nickelson faced the group, calling instructions into his head-mounted microphone, and demonstrating the moves that were to be followed.
    “And…swing and jump! Swing, swing, kick. Turn and lean. Back and kick!”
    Barry saw it as something of a personal mission to try and keep the whole community fit and in shape. The holiday was over, and if they were truly the last surviving humans on the planet, they had a duty to keep themselves in peak condition. Unfortunately his enthusiasm for this healthy living was not shared by the majority, and the class size shrank a little every day. Most cited the same complaint: with little in the way of healthy food available, and only water to drink after a workout, what was the point in expending energy unnecessarily?
    “I can see you at the back there! Come on, put some effort into it. And…swing and jump!”
    The front row, those showing the most motivation, comprised entirely of submariners. Coote had granted them ‘shore leave’ aboard the Spirit of Arcadia . They had as long as it took to reach Scotland to stretch their legs and take in the fresh air that they so craved. Their presence wasn’t just about giving them a break from the confines of the submarine; it also made more space available for those remaining on the Ambush , and to those men, space was the ultimate luxury.
    Barry began a series of star jumps, arms and legs outstretched. He was getting close to the end of the routine, and liked to finish with this energetic sequence. On the third jump, something went wrong. His feet hit the ground, but he never experienced the sensation of them coming into contact with the hard linoleum surface. His balance lost, his legs crumpled underneath him. Arms flailing, he landed with a thump on his bottom, sending the full force of the impact up his spine. A moment’s dizziness, and he fell flat on his back, out cold.
    • • •
    “Honestly, she’s no bother at all, Kiera. It’s quite a pleasure having her actually. She’s a little angel.”
    “If anyone’s an angel it’s you, Silvia, taking her in like this.”
    “How’s her father?” Silvia lowered her voice, not wanting to upset Erica, who was contentedly drawing pictures of her friends. “She never stops asking. All I can tell her is that he’s getting better. She wants to know when she can see him.”
    “It’s not looking good. Any time he regains consciousness he yells out in so much pain, we have no choice but to sedate him. Grau’s at a loss for a diagnosis.”
    “Well I hope this is going to help.” Silvia pulled some paper out of a file. “I haven’t been through the whole lot yet, but I’ve found you a retired forensic pathologist, and a nurse. I would have thought there would be more, but it’s a