Powerdown

HMS Erebus is on schedule to deliver supplies to the British Antarctic Survey’s in preparation for the millennium. But when one of NASA’s astronaut’s gets into trouble, HMS Erebus is called to support the rescue operation, taking their supply delivery schedule off course. NASA’s attempts to locate and rescue their astronaut were hampered by the weather and loss of contact with their own snow rescue team. With it being so close to Christmas, other local scientific stations are short-staffed. So, HMS Erebus takes a turn towards the coast at the foot of an empty glacial valley. Richard and Robin Mariner are on board HMS Erebus along with their truculent twins. Their plans had been to celebrate Christmas at the British Antarctic Survey’s base, Faraday. However, with the rescue mission, there’s a possibility, albeit an exciting one, for the twins at least, that they’ll be spending Christmas at Armstrong’s, one of NASA’s bases. When the astronaut, Major Bernard U. Schwartz, is found snow-crusted and frozen, an enquiry is launched into his death. Major Schwartz had been an extremely fit individual and all his vital signs had been good before he’d left. His death is highly unexpected. Christmas at Faraday seems unlikely now to Richard. A nearby state of the art Russian cruise liner, Kalinin, is also called into help with the rescue operation including all its passengers, along with HMS Erebus. But with an investigation being launched into the Major’s death, they all find themselves trapped at NASA’s base. Dr Jolene DaCosta, chief inspector for NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance is called in to investigate. Accustomed to being an outsider, she has built herself a hard shell. She’s been called in to investigate the suspicious death of the Major as she was the only senior investigator who’d not put in a request for leave during the festive period. Armed with facts, some she isn’t sure about, she finds herself leading the investigation … but what involvement does HMS Erebus and Kalinin have in the case of the death of the Major? When Leading Seaman Tony Thompson is also found dead, it’s clear to Jolene that he was murdered. Soon, events take a more sinister turn and Richard fears for his family’s survival. There is only one way out … aboard the technologically advanced ship, Kalinin. Their relief is shortlived, as the dawn of the Millennium approaches. With it comes desperate weather conditions. It soon becomes apparent that the only man on board with the knowledge, experience and ability to overcome the fatal conditions is Richard. That is, if he can stay alive long enough to get them all safely through the screaming white-out, a total power-down in all of Kalinin’s systems — and a lethal plan set in motion by the astronaut’s death.

Praise for Peter Tonkin