Outpost Read Free Page A

further, the sea would freeze and the rig would be joined
to the island by an ice-bridge.
    Rawlins
walked out on to the ice. Jane stayed on the steps. She inspected the vast
underbelly of the rig. Acres of frosted pipework and joists.
    'So
what do you want from me?' asked Jane. She had been aboard the refinery for
five months. This was the first time Rawlins had asked to speak to her.
    'The
microwave link to shore. I was hoping you could draw up a schedule, help the
lads book phone time.'
    'Reckon
they can reach anyone?'
    'That's
what I'm saying. Navtex is down. Our sat phone is a fucking paperweight. The
guys will demand to ring home, and when they do they will probably get no
reply. They'll need a sympathetic ear.'
    'Use
my counselling skills?'
    'Yeah.
And there's an issue with the ship. Only fair to warn you. I managed to raise
London yesterday. The connection lasted about thirty seconds. They told me the Oslo Star was on its way. They were picking
up a drilling team from Trenkt then heading south for us.'
    'Okay.'
    'But
I tried talking to London. I got nothing. The Con Amalgam office in Hamburg
told me Norway is under self-imposed quarantine. All borders closed. Air, land
and sea. If that's true, then Oslo Star hasn't left the dock.'
    'Damn.'
    'They've
given me executive authority to evacuate.'
    'Meaning
what?'
    'Nice
way of saying we are on our own. Get home any way we can.' 'Shit.'
    'It'll
be fine. There are plenty of other support ships at sea. Hamburg is arranging a
substitute vessel. It might take a while, though.'
    'When
will you tell the men?'
    'Must
admit I feel a bit of a fool. Telling everyone they are going home. Getting
their hopes up.'
    'So
what did Hamburg say? What's actually happening?'
    'Something
bad spreading fast. It seems to be global. That's the sum of it. Most radio and
TV stations are down. No one knows a thing. It's all just panic and rumour.
Marco, our Hamburg contact, says most of the stuff we've seen on the news is
recycled footage shot last month. Things have got a lot worse since then. He's
says people are leaving the cities for the countryside in case the government
firebomb.'
    'So
what is it? Flu? Smallpox?'
    'A
virus. That's what he said.'
    'What
kind?'
    'Marco's
English is pretty poor. A virus. Some kind of parasite. That's our little
secret, okay? The men don't need to know.'
     
    Jane
returned to her room. She swapped her sweater for a clerical shirt and
dog-collar.
    'Get
it together,' she told her reflection. 'People need you now.'
     
    Jane
headed for the gym.
    The
gym was monopolised each day by Nail Harper and his gang of muscle freaks. A
redundant dive crew with nothing to do but lift weights and preen in front of
the gymnasium wall mirror.
    She
heard Motorhead as she approached. Ace of Spades' echoing down steel corridors.
    Nail
was sweating his way through a series of barbell curls. He was stripped to the
waist. He had a gothic cross tattooed on his back. He stood in front of the
wall mirror and watched himself pump. Bull-neck, massive shoulders. Skin
stretched taut over veins and tendons. He looked like he was wearing his
muscles on the outside.
    His
gym buddies sat nearby. Gus and Mal. Ivan and Yakov. They took turns to use a
leg press.
    'How
are you lads doing?' shouted Jane.
    Nail
set the barbell on the floor and turned round. He took his time about it. He
looked Jane up and down. He stood over her, towelling sweat from his torso. He
glanced at one of his buddies, a signal to turn down the music.
    'Come
to burn off a few pounds?'
    'I'm
going to hold a service in the chapel later on.'
    'Good
for you.'
    'I
know everyone on this rig tends to stick to their own little group, their own
little faction, but maybe we ought to start thinking like a team. You saw the
news. We're in this shit together.'
    One
of his buddies threw him a protein shake. He swigged.
    'I've
been here all day, every day. If you fuckers want to talk, if you actually give
a shit, you can find me any time. We pass