"Who would kill for it?”
"At this point, it would be simpler to say who wouldn't?” After a small pause, Tristan asked, “Where is the case now?”
"It’s someplace safe.”
"How safe?”
"Safe.”
"Okay. This is going to be a discussion for when you return to the surface. Along those lines, how's it going? Are you making any progress?”
"We’re moving in the right direction. It's just going to take time.”
“You’re convinced he was murdered?”
“Yes.”
“Well, you know you have my full support. Whatever you need. But the sooner you can wrap this up, the better. That storm is closing in faster and stronger than anticipated. It’s getting pretty rough up here. Soon, we may have to retract the satellite buoy and solar panels. If it gets bad enough, the DSV may have to return to base. Don’t worry, the habitat can fully support itself for the duration of the mission and beyond.”
“I’ll try to wrap this up as soon as possible.”
“If you need to contact the outside world, do it now. I can’t guarantee how long external comms will be available.”
“Thanks for the heads up.”
I ended the call and relayed the information to JD. He made a call to his daughter, Scarlett. I called the sheriff and touched base. We chatted for a bit, then I called Teagan.
"How long are you going to be down there?" she asked.
I shrugged. "As long as it takes, I guess."
"It's getting pretty nasty here,” she said, fear in her voice.
“Why don’t you close up the restaurant. Secure everything, and keep it closed during the storm. Get out of town if you need to. Take the animals, make sure they’re safe. Keep yourself safe.”
“What about you guys? Are you going to be okay down there?”
“We’re underneath it all. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be just fine.” It was an optimistic statement. I didn’t want to freak her out. “I’ll keep in touch as best I can.”
“You guys stay safe.”
“We will,” I assured before ending the call.
JD and I found the others and figured it was time to rustle up something to eat. Without daylight, it was easy to get turned around down here.
In the mess, we joined the others for dinner. Freeze-dried beef stroganoff noodles, thermostabilized green beans, and a fudge brownie. The rehydrated food wasn’t the Five Fathoms, but it wasn’t bad. It tasted pretty bland, but it would get the job done, especially when hungry.
Judy didn't join the crew for dinner. It was understandable, given the situation. She needed time alone. But she also needed to eat and keep up her strength.
Wong sent Dr. Norrington to check on her.
He returned a few minutes later. "She says she’s not hungry.”
"At least bring her some dessert after dinner. Try to get her to eat a little," he said.
It was a somber meal. Not much conversation around the table.
After we ate, Commander Wong got everybody's attention. “This has been a tragic day. Commander Weyland was a dedicated leader and passionate about this project. I know he would want us to continue forward. I have talked to Tristan, and that is the plan. The mission continues as scheduled. I know this is an emotional time. Take a moment to grieve in the appropriate way." He nodded to Elana. "Our resident psychologist can offer better counsel than I can, but holding in repressed grief is not a good thing and can take a toll on the body. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to scream, scream. But we must steel our resolve and carry forward. Tristan is right when he says we don't have the luxury of turning back or aborting the mission. That will not be an option in space. And it's not an option here." He took a deep breath. "Which brings up another issue. If the deputies are correct in their assessment, and Commander Weyland was actually murdered, that means we have a killer in our midst.” David glanced around, making eye contact with everyone. "Someone at this very table is responsible. Not only for the murder, but also for the attempt to dismantle and disrupt our mission. One could not commit such a heinous act without considering the long-term ramifications of what that would do to this project. We are all so fortunate to be a part of this historic moment. It’s unfathomable that someone would do this. I don't know about you, but I take that personally. I'm angry. Angry at the death of Commander Weyland. Angry about the attack on this mission. Angry that I feel powerless to do anything about it. As you're aware, the deputies will bestaying with us until this matter is resolved.” He paused to let it sink in.
