May Day (The Erelong Trilogy Book II)

The Stateroom

Tindale stepped back into the Stateroom and closed the door behind him.

"Exactly what was the illegal nature of those experiments?" He asked the detective.

"That information is classified, Commander," Matsumoto replied to Captain Tindale.

"I am not going to risk the lives of my crew handing over those men to you unless you can convince me there's a compelling reason why I should do that."

Matsumoto looked to Ishida to intervene but found the Japanese commander's gaze unyielding. They spoke in Japanese for several minutes in urgent hushed tones. Ishida's response to Matsumoto's insistent argument became increasingly curt. Finally, the detective relented, and he turned back to Tindale.

"NdroidX Corp worked on extending the usefulness of soldiers injured in a battle," he said quickly. "They developed an augmented system that helped soldiers to continue to fight on, even if after suffering a serious injury. The augmentation basically enables them to carry on fighting with whatever limbs are still viable rather than be incapacitated by fatigue or shock."

"Good lord!" O'Hara said with a shake of his head. "That's plain monstrous!"

"Achieving a superhuman level of performance on the battlefield has always been an important aspect of military training," Ishida explained to the XO. "In ancient times, soldiers were expected to fight on for as long as they breathed. NdroidX research draws on that tradition."

"What were the experiments performed on the workers?" Tindale persisted.

Matsumoto suddenly looked stricken. "Commander, it's better we talk alone."

"Skipper?" O'Hara looked startled. "It might be wise that I stay with you."

"The XO and the Lieutenant both stay," Tindale told the detective.

"Matsumoto-san, we don't have the luxury of time to argue about this," Ishida barked. "Tell them!"

Matsumoto returned Ishida a nod of acknowledgment and turned to Tindale.

"The ministry was interested in harnessing the latent abilities of the soldier's brain in specific ways. The experiments were to test devices implanted in the human brain. A combat helmet received signals sent to the soldier by their controller and these were relayed to the implants and so into the mind of the solder. The aim of the experiment was to produce soldiers unaffected by pain on the battlefield who were able to remain not only in the fight but under the direct control of the base. No matter how serious the injury they suffered, so long as enough of them remained intact and functional. They tested their subjects to the point of death."

Matsumoto's back stiffened as he steeled himself to tell the most terrible part of the story. His voice began to crack with the strain of admitting to the foreigners how inhuman the scientists, his own countrymen, had been.

"They tested them past the point of death," he said. "The ultimate aim was to manipulate the brain and central nervous system. Even a soldier considered freshly deceased but not suffering major damage to the body would be able to fight on as a remote-controlled biological robot. As long as the heart could be made to beat and the muscles to move the otherwise dead soldier could be re-animated. This was the nature of the experiments they performed on the Fukushima workers."

"This was what the Ministry of Defense wanted to accomplish?" Tindale asked. He looked horrified.

"Not the Ministry of Defense!" Matsumoto said, and he drew air through his teeth in irritation at the suggestion. "The criminals I am here to arrest."

"Did they actually succeed?" Tindale asked.

"Perhaps," Matsumoto replied. "We don't know for certain."

Tindale turned to Ishida in alarm. "Are those devices on my boat?"

"We believe so," Ishida replied. "We assume Doctor Fassbinder plans to continue those experiments in Australia."

"Why Australia?" Tindale asked. "Why wasn't such a program took over by the Pentagon—or the CIA come to that?"

"And destroyed," O'Hara muttered under his breath.

"Yes," Tindale glanced at his XO. "Exactly."

"Perhaps those who fund Project Belial feel they owe no allegiance to a single nation," Ishida replied with a sardonic smile.

"Australia might be a choice of convenience; do you think?" O'Hara asked, glancing at Tindale.

"May as well be," Tindale said with a nod of his head.

Tindale took but a minute to come to his decision.

"You are welcome to take them, Detective Matsumoto!"

"Over my dead body!" Carter snorted. "And those of my team."

"That will not be necessary, Lieutenant," Tindale said as he met the fierce gaze of the SEAL. "You will hand over your sidearm to the XO."

The SEAL hesitated for just a moment. "Yes, sir!" He said, and he placed the gun on the table and scowled as he watched O'Hara pocket the weapon.

"The XO will escort you to the crew mess, where you will find the rest of your team," Tindale told Carter. "You will remain there until we have all of these mad scientists off the boat."

"Sir, our mission is to accompany them and their equipment in the handover to the Australians," Carter said in exasperation.

"I know," Tindale replied, and he glanced at his XO.

O'Hara saw the quick flicker in Tindale's eyes. It was a seldom used signal of understanding and agreement between the two men. O'Hara gave an almost imperceptible nod to confirm he had heard the message loud and clear.

"Right then, Lieutenant Carter," O'Hara said, gesturing politely to the SEAL. "Time to join the others."