Sabotage on the Solar Express, page 7
‘I called the hotel before we left Alice Springs. He’s not in his room. No one has seen him since breakfast, at seven o’clock this morning.’ August slapped the back of his hand against the wall in frustration. ‘Of all the times to pull a disappearing trick.’
‘How can we help?’ Uncle Nat asked calmly, handing the Rocket model to Hal.
Hal glanced at Marianne. He’d never seen August angry before.
‘Francisco was supposed to be giving our guests a guided tour of the technology we’re using.’ He waved at the driving controls.
‘I can tell people about how the fuel cell works and supplies the engine with power,’ Boaz said, ‘but the technology driving the train was designed by his team.’
‘Driverless trains aren’t new,’ August said. ‘Many city metro systems are driverless, and the mining industry here uses driverless freight trains, but Francisco’s team have developed a self-driving system that uses satellites to spy miles up the track to respond to any kind of obstacle or possible situation in plenty of time. It’s much safer than having a driver. Problem is, I have no idea how it works.’
Hal stared at the empty chair behind the console. It was eerie watching the train gobble up track without anyone being at the controls. ‘If you don’t need a driver, then why’s there a desk with a seat?’
‘Technology can sometimes have . . . glitches,’ August replied. ‘The control desk has a manual override as a safety precaution. We don’t anticipate it ever being used.’ He slipped his hand under his glasses and rubbed his eyes. ‘My big problem is Leslie Deane, Terry Chang and those idiots from World News.’
‘Why?’ Hal asked.
‘There’s a lot riding on this test run,’ replied August. ‘We need Leslie Deane on our side, because we’ve made a crucial application to lease land for a hydrogen production facility and a factory to make the Tudawali RFC. It’s with the Australian government right now. Without Leslie’s help the whole project could fail. Terry has expressed an interest in adapting the Tudawali RFC for his shipping fleet, which could be a big deal, but I suspect he’s really here to check out the competition.’ He looked out the window. ‘Francisco not showing up makes us seem chaotic and unreliable.’
‘Why do you think he didn’t turn up at the conference this morning?’ Uncle Nat asked.
‘Francisco gets nervous talking to audiences. He’s not a public speaker. I couldn’t tell you the number of times he’s not shown up to these things. It didn’t surprise me at all.’
‘It surprised me,’ Boaz said. ‘He promised me he’d be there to answer any tricky questions.’
‘That is out of character,’ August agreed. ‘I didn’t think he would let Boaz down.’
‘Did you know he’d agreed to do an interview with World News before the conference this morning?’ Hal asked.
‘No.’ August looked surprised.
‘I could ask Tom Flinch if he turned up.’
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. I can’t have World News reporting that Reza Tech has lost its Chief Technical Officer. I need them to tell the world that the test ride is a big success. There are a lot of potential investors watching.’ He sighed. ‘You’d be surprised how much of business is putting on a show.’
‘People know you two were arguing at dinner last night, Pop,’ Marianne said.
‘Francisco and I are like brothers. We fight all the time. It doesn’t mean anything.’
‘Francisco wanted you to postpone today’s launch, didn’t he?’ Hal asked.
‘He said the locomotive wasn’t ready yet, and that if it failed it would be his team that looked bad, that it was his reputation on the line. But he’s always worried that things aren’t ready. Technology is iterative, you’ve got to try things and fail to find out what needs improvement.’ He gestured to the windscreen. ‘And look. The train is working perfectly.’
‘So, what are you going to do?’ Uncle Nat asked.
‘I don’t know! I don’t program software or manage technical builds. I do the big picture stuff: the design, the experience, the messaging.’ He looked rattled. ‘I could say that Francisco was taken ill.’ He looked at Boaz. ‘Boaz and I are going to have to give a presentation to Leslie, Terry and the news crew.’
‘I can talk about the fuel cell and try and fill in for Francisco,’ Boaz offered. ‘I know a bit.’
‘I know who you should get to help you,’ Marianne said. ‘Michelle. She wants to work on Francisco’s team. She was at the dinner last night. I’ll bet she talked to him about –’ she waved her hand at the control panel – ‘how this works.’
‘Yes!’ Hal agreed with Marianne. ‘Michelle’s a physicist.’
August stared at his daughter. ‘That’s a good idea.’
‘I know.’ Marianne smiled cheerily.
‘Thank you.’
‘Any time. I’m just glad you aren’t mad that we broke your Rocket model.’
‘You broke it?’
‘I was trying to tell you.’ Uncle Nat stepped forward. ‘It’s my fault. I thought there might be a switch inside the case that worked the mechanism of the model. As you can see, those sectioned cylinders have pistons inside that are connected to the wheels.’ August’s eyebrows lifted. ‘I broke the seal as I opened the case. It was filled with helium gas. When the Rocket model was exposed to air it blackened and tarnished.’
‘I think the boiler is made of lithium,’ Boaz said. ‘Lithium is a shiny silver, but it goes black when it reacts with the nitrogen in the air and smells of nappies.’
August lifted off the glass case, and leaned in to examine his model. ‘So it has.’
‘We think the model works, Pop.’ Marianne moved to stand beside him.
‘I thought the regulator might be the on switch,’ Hal said.
August pushed the tiny lever.
With the model right under his nose, Hal’s nostrils caught a whiff of something familiar. ‘Can anyone smell gas?’
Uncle Nat leaned over and sniffed. ‘A trace.’ He studied the footplate of the Rocket. ‘The Rocket was invented before brakes. The only controls were the regulator, a handbrake to clamp the wheel once the locomotive was stationary, and this pedal here.’ He pointed. ‘The reversing pedal. Because the Rocket had no brakes, if you wanted to stop, you’d stamp on it, and it would channel steam to the piston that turns the wheels backwards. The loco would come to a stop, before reversing.’ He pushed down the tiny reversing pedal and an ignition spark flared inside the model firebox, triggering a crackle of scarlet fire, and suddenly the entire boiler was engulfed in red flames.
‘Argh!’ Hal jumped back, letting go of the model.
Boaz, who’d been standing beside him, dropped down, catching the wooden base before it hit the floor. He held it at arm’s length. The boiler was burning vigorously, spitting crimson sparks.
‘Isn’t that hurting you?’ Marianne cried, as Boaz scanned the cabin.
‘Nah, got asbestos hands thanks to years of playing with fire.’ He looked at Hal. ‘Mate, I’m going to need you to grab that fire blanket hanging on the wall behind you. If anyone can see a fire extinguisher, we could use it right now. Lithium fires are deadly hard to put out.’
Woody dashed into the corridor.
Hal yanked the fire blanket from its container. ‘What now?’ he asked, feeling the heat of the fire on his face.
‘Lay it on the floor.’
Boaz was carefully lowering the flaming model to the floor when there was a click. The locomotive and tender tumbled off the tracks and crashed on to the blanket. Boaz swore under his breath, tossing the wooden base aside. Woody appeared with a fire extinguisher. Boaz grabbed it, pulling the trigger and unloading a torrent of powder at the engine. After he’d emptied it, he dived forwards and wrapped the blanket over it.
‘We should submerge the whole thing in water,’ Boaz said, ‘once the fire is extinguished and the lithium’s all used up.’
‘There’s a bathroom this way,’ said Woody.
Boaz scooped up the blanket and followed him
‘Who sent this to you?’ Uncle Nat asked August.
‘I don’t know,’ August whispered. ‘I thought . . . I thought it was sent by a supporter, to curry favour.’ He looked shocked.
Hal and Marianne exchanged a worried glance.
‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this,’ Hal said.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CLIFFHANGER
‘You must see that model for what it is,’ Uncle Nat said to August. ‘It’s an attack on you.’
‘It might not be,’ Marianne said. ‘I know it went on fire and everything, but no one could have known that we’d take the glass case off, turn the lever and press the pedal thing. There are better ways to attack a person.’
‘It’s a message,’ Hal said. ‘When we started the engine, it burst into flames and derailed.’
There was an uncomfortable silence.
‘It could just be a faulty gift,’ August said, but his words were hollow. Hal could tell that he didn’t believe them.
‘All taken care of,’ said Boaz, returning with Woody. ‘Although no one is to use the driver’s bathroom. The model is underwater, in the sink. It needs to stay there till we get to Tennant Creek. If we pull it out, the lithium could reignite.’
‘Woody, I think we need to assume someone wishes August harm,’ Uncle Nat said.
‘Now, wait a minute, let’s not get carried away,’ August protested. ‘I get threatened, er –’ he glanced at Marianne – ‘sometimes, and it’s nearly always empty words sent to disrupt a project or prevent me from doing what I need to do. If I pay attention to every threat I get, I’d never leave the house.’
‘Yes, but this isn’t just words.’ Uncle Nat picked up the scorched wooden base from the floor. ‘Someone went to an awful lot of trouble to make that model.’
‘What would you have me do?’ August looked from Uncle Nat to Woody. ‘Stop the train? Turf everyone off into the Outback and say, “Sorry, some crazy person sent me a model train, so we’ll have to reschedule”? I can’t do that. You know I can’t do that. I won’t do that.’
There was a long silence.
‘Every passenger on this train has had a thorough background check. My people know everything about them, their family, and their family’s family.’ He paused to let his words sink in. ‘Francisco was worried the fuel cells wouldn’t produce enough power to pull the Solar Express out of the station, but the train is performing well.’ He pointed. ‘That blasted model is supposed to be back at the hotel. If you hadn’t brought it here, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.’ The pitch of his voice was rising. ‘I don’t need extra problems right now. I’m still trying to deal with the fact that Francisco decided not to show up to work today.’ He folded his arms. ‘So, let’s get Michelle in here, and get on with it.’
‘I’ll find her,’ Marianne volunteered, slipping out.
‘August,’ Uncle Nat said quietly, ‘if that model is a message, it would be a good idea to run a check on the train’s systems. Make sure everything is behaving as it should. Is that possible?’
‘It is possible.’ August sighed. ‘However, only Francisco, or a member of his team, knows how to do it.’
‘What about calling someone?’ Hal suggested, trying to helpful. ‘Could they guide you through it, or Boaz?’
‘We’re in the Outback,’ Boaz said. ‘There’s no mobile signal. No wi-fi neither.’
‘Look, I may not know how to perform a systems check,’ August said, ‘but if I need to, I know how to turn off the computer and apply the brake.’
Uncle Nat stared flatly into August’s eyes.
‘You can’t be suggesting that I stop the train? The news networks would have a field day. What kind of message would that send about the Solar Express? No. I’m not playing into the whole Hindenburg effect.’ August shook his head. ‘This is ridiculous. You’re letting your imagination run away with itself. That model means nothing. I’m not stopping this train because of that.’
‘Sir,’ Hal said quietly. ‘Couldn’t you say that, as part of the test run, Boaz is going to perform some routine checks? Or that you thought stopping the train for lunch would be nice?’ He stepped towards August. ‘Your daughter is on this train. Wouldn’t it be better to make sure it’s safe? Then we can continue the journey and really enjoy it.’
‘My little sister’s on board,’ Boaz added.
August Reza dropped his head into his hands. ‘Urgh, OK,’ he groaned.
‘You needed me?’ came Michelle’s perky voice, as she and Marianne appeared in the doorway of the crowded cabin.
‘Ah, Michelle, yes, good.’ Uncle Nat turned at her. ‘August is going to stop the train.’
‘He is?’ Michelle looked at August in surprise.
‘Yes, Michelle, I need your help. I want the passengers to think the Solar Express stopping was always on today’s schedule, and that there’s nothing to worry about. If anyone asks, we’ll say that Boaz is performing efficiency tests on the fuel cells.’
‘Got it,’ she replied. ‘Is there something to worry about?’
‘Nope.’ August shook his head and forced a smile. ‘Everything is going to plan. It’s just that, without Francisco, things are a bit more complicated than we’d like.’
‘Right.’ Michelle looked around the cabin at everyone’s serious faces. ‘I think I understand.’
‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ August muttered as he sat down in the driver’s seat in front of the controls. ‘This switch overrides the autopilot and activates the desk,’ he muttered, reminding himself how it worked as he pushed the switch up. ‘And this lever is the brake.’ He pulled a T-shaped lever slowly towards him. The noise of the engine didn’t change.
August frowned, looking down at the lever. He glanced at Boaz. ‘This is the brake, isn’t it?’
Boaz nodded slowly and the colour drained from August’s face.
Hal’s stomach dropped into his shoes. According to the digital speedometer, they were still travelling at one hundred and fifteen kilometres an hour. The train hadn’t slowed down at all.
Sitting bolt upright, August flicked open a clear plastic cover protecting a round red button and slammed his fist down on it.
Nothing happened.
Boaz dropped on to his knees, swiftly rolling on to his back, and sliding under the console. He reached up, yanking down a ball of wires that fed into a circuit board. He studied it, making a sound like someone had punched him in the stomach. He held out a red wire so that they could see it had been severed.
‘Someone’s been under here with a knife,’ he said. ‘The Solar Express has been sabotaged.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
UNSTOPPABLE
Hal stared at the cut wire in Boaz’s hands. He could hear the sound of the wheels rolling over train tracks. No one spoke for the longest time.
Someone doesn’t want the Solar Express to be stopped. But why?
Reaching out, August lifted a telephone handset connected to the desk. He pressed a button. ‘Hello? August Reza here. Hello? Hello?’ He waited, then put the receiver down. Drawing in a long slow breath, he turned to face them. Speaking in a remarkably calm voice, he said, ‘Firstly, let me reassure you all that there is no need for panic.’ His voice was measured and confident, but there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead. ‘There are a number of ways we can solve this problem.’
‘Good.’ Uncle Nat seemed to have grown taller and older. ‘What are they?’
Everyone in the cabin was on edge.
August helped Boaz to his feet, buying himself some thinking time. ‘First, we must find out what our saboteur hopes to achieve.’ He pointed to the console. ‘Despite cut wires, the computer is still successfully driving this train.’ He gave them a nervous smile.
Hal did not find August’s words reassuring.
‘Do we know it’s the Reza Tech computer program that’s driving the Solar Express?’ Uncle Nat asked.
‘That is a good question,’ August agreed.
‘Whoever made that Rocket model was very clever,’ Hal said. ‘It was thought through step by step. What has cutting those wires done?’
August looked at Boaz.
‘They’ve destroyed the manual override and the emergency brake,’ Boaz said. ‘Possibly done more damage. I don’t know how much of the console is working.’
‘The computer can still drive us all safely to Tennant Creek,’ August said.
‘But,’ Michelle said softly, ‘if they loaded a new program into the computer and then cut the wires . . . someone else could be controlling this train.’
They stared at the bank of computer screens.
‘How would someone load a new program into the train’s computer?’ Uncle Nat asked.
‘Those ports.’ August pointed to two slits in the surface of the desk. He pulled a black and orange plastic card from his pocket. ‘These are Reza Tech memory keys. They go in those slots. They verify who you are and your level of access. They can also carry data. Only someone with one of these, with a new program already on it, could access the train’s hard drive and change its driving instructions.’
‘Is it possible to alter the software remotely?’ Uncle Nat asked. ‘From your office, while the train is motion?’
‘One day, perhaps,’ August replied. ‘But, as I said, there’s no wi-fi or mobile signal in the Outback. We’re using the Reza Tech satellite system to communicate with the train.’ He pointed at the phone. ‘I should be able to talk with the train tech team using that, but it’s dead.’
‘Does that mean the satellite feed has been cut?’ Uncle Nat said.
August nodded. ‘Without the satellite link-up, the tech team can’t communicate with the train’s computer. We’re alone out here.’
‘How many people have one of those cards?’ Hal asked, pointing.
‘Right now, in Australia, only three people. Me, Francisco, and the head engineer on this project, Jed. He’s with the team in Tennant Creek.’
‘Could Jed have come to Alice Springs yesterday?’ Uncle Nat asked.
