Zero Day_ A Novel - Mark Russinovich [39]
The helmsman, Renato Arroyo, scanned the dials. “I think so, Captain. Any second now.”
Three minutes passed with no change. “This is cutting it close,” Shiva said. “What does the GPS show?”
“There’s no alert, sir. All’s normal,” Olivera said.
The ship continued plowing through the choppy seas as if in the middle of the Indian Ocean. “This isn’t right,” Shiva said finally, his seaman’s instincts telling him something was wrong. “We should be slowing by now. How far are we out?”
“Fifteen clicks, sir,” Olivera answered, his voice no longer unconcerned.
Shiva considered the situation. The engines should have gone to reduced speed at eighteen kilometers. “Check the computers.”
After a moment: “Normal readings, sir.”
Shiva began to sweat. They were well overdue to reduce speed. Aimed straight at Nagasaki harbor and land, they were going at eighteen knots. But if he went to manual, could he pull this off? He could slow the ship, but he doubted very much he could make the turn and bring it to a halt within the prescribed circle for the offshore facility to do its job. He’d never done it before and was certain he couldn’t do it without a computer. But what choice did he have?
“Take the computer off-line. We’re going manual. Helmsman, dead slow.”
“Yes, sir,” Olivera answered, glancing nervously at his captain.
Shiva felt no change in the ship. “Sonny? Are we manual yet? Hurry!”
“Captain, the computer is locked.” Olivera looked up in a panic. “It won’t take a command!”
“Try again.”
“No change, sir.” Olivera’s voice rose. “It won’t accept a command!”
Shiva could see the offshore facility now, shimmering in the distance. Behind it was the mainland and the city itself. He began to sweat profusely. If he turned off the computer, he wasn’t certain he could command the ship. Even on manual the commands were sent electronically. Nothing was connected directly by wire or cable as in the old days. There was an override system, he knew, but he’d never used it before.
“Captain?” Arroyo’s voice was urgent.
Being in command meant Shiva had to command. That was the single truth he’d been taught over the years. Right or wrong, the captain gave orders. “Turn off the computer.”
“Sir?” Olivera said in disbelief.
“Hurry! Turn it off. We have to go manual.”
A moment later Sonny said, “It’s off. It wouldn’t take the shut-down command, so I had to kill the power.”
“Dead stop, Renato,” Shiva ordered.
“Dead stop, sir.” Arroyo took the control in his sweaty palm and rang the command.
The engines continued throbbing unchanged.
“Do it again,” Shiva ordered, fighting to remain calm. The offshore facility was looming far too close on the horizon.
Arroyo sent the order again. Nothing.
“How far are we out?” Shiva asked, willing himself to remain calm. The captain must never panic.
“GPS is down with the computer off, sir,” Olivera answered.
“Hard to port!” Shiva ordered. If he couldn’t slow the ship, he needed to head it in a safe direction.
“Hard to port, Captain,” Arroyo repeated as he spun the wheel. “Sir! Nothing. I’ve got no control. It’s just spinning in place!”
The Illustrious Goddess continued at 18 knots like an arrow straight at the offshore facility and the port beyond. Shiva estimated the distance at under ten kilometers. Even if he had control, he couldn’t stop the ship in time.
“Full reverse!” Shiva ordered.
Arroyo moved the control. “Full reverse, sir.”
Nothing. The engines continued as before. The ship plunged ahead without alteration.
“Turn the computer back on. Reboot. Hurry, Sonny, hurry!”
A long minute passed. “The computer’s frozen, sir. It’s locked.”
“Do it again and keep doing it until we have control.”
“Captain, we’re almost there!” Arroyo screamed.
Desperate, Shiva radioed the offshore facility and the port that he had no control over the ship. A small Japanese naval ship came out and signaled frantically for him to stop, but he could do nothing.
One mile out the computer was still locked and steering was unresponsive.