then they arrested the man’s family and sent them to the gulag.”
“Well, they were fighting the Nazis,” Billy piped up.
Anya snorted a derisive laugh. “Yes, murderous, evil Nazis. And
who were the NKVD? Murderous, evil Communists.”
“I’m confused. Which are we supposed to be?” Wilkes asked.
58
(ARTIFACT)
A News Item
Wellington, NZ. Wellington Police Superintendent Thomas DuPré gave a
press conference today in which he discussed the recent suicide of two
Wellington Police Department officers, and the attempted suicide by a
third, who remains in care at Wellington Hospital.
“All three officers reported seeing strange visions about an hour prior
to their suicide attempts. They variously described these hallucinations as
involving bizarre insects and strange objects.”
Superintendent DuPré said all three were tested for drugs but results
were negative. “It’s possible that this tragic episode is simply a rather hor-
rible coincidence.”
All three incidents occurred nine days ago. The two successful and
one attempted suicides were particularly brutal and appeared to be
unplanned.
The investigation is ongoing.
Nothing was said publicly about the fact that the three officers, while on
their way together to a soccer match a week earlier, had come across an
overturned truck on the highway apparently headed to the port.
The truck had appeared to be carrying military grade weapons.
Higher authorities were called in to take over the case. And the three
policemen would have nothing further to say on the matter.
59
(ARTIFACT)
From Deadline Hol ywood:
The Academy announced today that Sandra Piper’s name would remain
on the ballot for the Best Actress Oscar. There had been suggestions
(surely not from studios and press agents tied to competing actresses,
heaven forfend!) that the actress’s bizarre suicide would send a bad
message to movie lovers and especially young fans. The statement reads
in part, “We believe that an Academy Award is given for the work, and
only for the work, and should not be affected by the tragedy that took this
great talent’s life.”
Comments:
QxT: Sandra Piper was a great lady and a great actress. Shame on
those who are trying to prophet from her death.
KeyAgrippa: She was nuts. That’s who we want to show off as a
symbol of Hollywood?
Book Guy: Tragedy my ass. She was murdered. I don’t know how.
Yet. But I knew Sandra, we worked together on UTD. No way she killed
herself, she had everything to live for.
60
SEVEN
Seven thousand, two hundred and fourteen miles south and a bit
east from the watery grave of the Doll Ship , where bloated, bleached-
out bodies still fed indifferent fish, a very different sort of vessel was
roaring across very different waters. The navy called it an LCAC—
landing craft air cushion—a hovercraft some eighty-eight feet long
and forty-seven feet wide.
This LCAC was no longer part of the U.S. Navy; it was privately
owned, and it had been extensively modified with more efficient tur-
bines, tougher skirts, and integrated deicing systems.
It was one of two in active service in Antarctic waters. The craft
were used to carry large cargos ashore and, just as critically, to remove
garbage, and to do so in weather that would swat a helicopter down
onto the ice.
Environmentalists were determined to keep Antarctica “green,”
despite the fact that green was rarely seen on the ice.
The LCACs shuttled back and forth between shore and a refur-
bished navy-surplus amphibious assault ship now called the Celadon .
Celadon being a shade of green. (Her sister ship was the Shamrock .)
The LCACs were the Jade Monkey and the Emerald , again, shades 61
MICHAEL GRANT
of green. But the LCACs were in fact painted white and gray with
splashes of rescue-orange.
The particular LCAC arriving in a whirlwind of salt spray and
noise was the Jade Monkey , skippered by Imelda Suarez. Suarez—no one called her
“Well, they were fighting the Nazis,” Billy piped up.
Anya snorted a derisive laugh. “Yes, murderous, evil Nazis. And
who were the NKVD? Murderous, evil Communists.”
“I’m confused. Which are we supposed to be?” Wilkes asked.
58
(ARTIFACT)
A News Item
Wellington, NZ. Wellington Police Superintendent Thomas DuPré gave a
press conference today in which he discussed the recent suicide of two
Wellington Police Department officers, and the attempted suicide by a
third, who remains in care at Wellington Hospital.
“All three officers reported seeing strange visions about an hour prior
to their suicide attempts. They variously described these hallucinations as
involving bizarre insects and strange objects.”
Superintendent DuPré said all three were tested for drugs but results
were negative. “It’s possible that this tragic episode is simply a rather hor-
rible coincidence.”
All three incidents occurred nine days ago. The two successful and
one attempted suicides were particularly brutal and appeared to be
unplanned.
The investigation is ongoing.
Nothing was said publicly about the fact that the three officers, while on
their way together to a soccer match a week earlier, had come across an
overturned truck on the highway apparently headed to the port.
The truck had appeared to be carrying military grade weapons.
Higher authorities were called in to take over the case. And the three
policemen would have nothing further to say on the matter.
59
(ARTIFACT)
From Deadline Hol ywood:
The Academy announced today that Sandra Piper’s name would remain
on the ballot for the Best Actress Oscar. There had been suggestions
(surely not from studios and press agents tied to competing actresses,
heaven forfend!) that the actress’s bizarre suicide would send a bad
message to movie lovers and especially young fans. The statement reads
in part, “We believe that an Academy Award is given for the work, and
only for the work, and should not be affected by the tragedy that took this
great talent’s life.”
Comments:
QxT: Sandra Piper was a great lady and a great actress. Shame on
those who are trying to prophet from her death.
KeyAgrippa: She was nuts. That’s who we want to show off as a
symbol of Hollywood?
Book Guy: Tragedy my ass. She was murdered. I don’t know how.
Yet. But I knew Sandra, we worked together on UTD. No way she killed
herself, she had everything to live for.
60
SEVEN
Seven thousand, two hundred and fourteen miles south and a bit
east from the watery grave of the Doll Ship , where bloated, bleached-
out bodies still fed indifferent fish, a very different sort of vessel was
roaring across very different waters. The navy called it an LCAC—
landing craft air cushion—a hovercraft some eighty-eight feet long
and forty-seven feet wide.
This LCAC was no longer part of the U.S. Navy; it was privately
owned, and it had been extensively modified with more efficient tur-
bines, tougher skirts, and integrated deicing systems.
It was one of two in active service in Antarctic waters. The craft
were used to carry large cargos ashore and, just as critically, to remove
garbage, and to do so in weather that would swat a helicopter down
onto the ice.
Environmentalists were determined to keep Antarctica “green,”
despite the fact that green was rarely seen on the ice.
The LCACs shuttled back and forth between shore and a refur-
bished navy-surplus amphibious assault ship now called the Celadon .
Celadon being a shade of green. (Her sister ship was the Shamrock .)
The LCACs were the Jade Monkey and the Emerald , again, shades 61
MICHAEL GRANT
of green. But the LCACs were in fact painted white and gray with
splashes of rescue-orange.
The particular LCAC arriving in a whirlwind of salt spray and
noise was the Jade Monkey , skippered by Imelda Suarez. Suarez—no one called her
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