Romancing the Alpha: An Action-Adventure Romance Boxed Set (44 page)

German submarines had been active in the area since February 1915. Until the
Lusitania
was torpedoed, passenger ships had been considered safe from attack. The
Lusitania’s
captain was aware of the threat but assumed that the British Admiralty would send warships to escort the ship through the danger zone—as they had done on every other crossing since February. The warships never arrived. The message warning Captain Turner of specific submarine activity in the area through which he was to sail was so vague it was useless.

In contrast to the
Titanic
, the
Lusitania
was carrying more than enough lifeboats to accommodate her passengers and crew. Unfortunately, three factors combined to render them useless. First, the war against Germany had sucked the best sailors into the British Navy. This meant that the Cunard Line was forced to hire people with little experience at sea. Second, many of the crew who had been trained in launching the lifeboats were sorting cargo in preparation for the ship’s arrival in Liverpool. When the torpedo hit the cargo hold, they were killed outright. Finally, the ship sank in just 18 minutes. This didn’t allow enough time to launch more than a couple of lifeboats.

Another factor that contributed to the high loss of life was the lifebelt situation. There were sufficient lifebelts on board for every person but passengers were unsure how to tie them properly. The result was that many passengers ended upside down in the water and drowned. We roll our eyes at the safety instructions at the start of every flight, but the
Lusitania
disaster is one of the reasons the instructions are repeated ad nauseum. After the
Lusitania
sank, instructions on how to correctly fasten a lifebelt became mandatory on passenger ships across the world and this practice carried over to planes.

The rescue effort was a catalogue of errors. The British Admiralty had introduced a rule that forbade other ships going to the rescue of the victims of submarine attacks. There was a logical reason for this: submarines often lurked in the area after the initial attack and fired on any ships or boats that came to the stricken ship’s aid.

Unfortunately, this rule also applied to the
Lusitania
. After the ship was hit, the ship’s captain sent out a distress signal. The HMS
Juno
was in Cork Harbour at the time and immediately set out to help the
Lusitania
. Unfortunately,
Juno
was ordered back to port because it was too valuable a ship to risk near a submarine. Had the
Juno
been allowed to continue to the scene of the disaster, it would have arrived within an hour. Instead, the rescue effort fell to fishermen in rowboats who braved the submarine threat and rowed for hours to reach the passengers.

The official enquiry into the sinking was a farce. Due to wartime secrecy, it was held in a closed court and the information revealed was selective. The Admiralty attempted to blame the ship’s captain for putting the
Lusitania
in unnecessary danger but this didn’t wash with the presiding judge. The official conclusion was that several torpedoes hit the ship. History has proven otherwise—the German submarine fired
one
torpedo. The second explosion had to have been caused by something within the ship. While various possible causes have been suggested over the years, the most logical explanation is that
Lusitania
was carrying munitions from neutral America to aid the British war effort.

The ownership of the wreck has long been a subject of dispute. An American named Greg Bemis bought the wreck in 1968 and has invested a lot of money in exploring it and salvaging items. However, because it lies in Irish waters, the Irish government placed a heritage order on it and this complicates salvage efforts. To add to the fun, the British have at various times laid claim to the contents of the wreck.

If you would like to learn more about the
Lusitania
, the following books and websites are useful:

http://www.lusitania.net

http://www.rmslusitania.info

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania
by Erik Larson

Robert Ballard’s Lusitania
by Robert Ballard and Spencer Dunmore

Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy
by Diana Preston

Zara Keane grew up in Dublin, Ireland, but spent her summers in a small town very similar to the fictitious Ballybeg.

She currently lives in Switzerland with her family. When she’s not writing or wrestling small people, she drinks far too much coffee, and tries—with occasional success—to resist the siren call of Swiss chocolate.

ZaraKeane.com

Connect with her on:

Facebook –
www.facebook.com/zarakeaneauthor

Twitter –
www.twitter.com/zara_keane

Newsletter –
www.smarturl.it/zarakeanenews

ANNA HACKETT

Website
|
Facebook
|
Mailing List

GENRE: Science Fiction Romance

When astro-archeologist Lexa Carter discovers a map to an old Earth treasure, she’s thrilled about a treasure hunt to a dangerous, desert planet—but not about being saddled with head of security, Damon Malik. She thinks he’s arrogant. He thinks she’s a trouble magnet. But when the hunt turns deadly, they’ll have to trust each other just to survive.

Turn the page to begin reading
Among Galactic Ruins
, or
click here to return to this anthology’s Table of Contents.

Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation

Internal Records #ZZ-5945-973

Subject: History of Zerzura

The history of the planet of Zerzura spans millennia and has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations. It has been a source of fascination for the masses, study for astro-archeologists and historians, and a hot spot for treasure hunters and collectors.

The first inhabitants of the planet are still unknown to us today but left vast ruins of once-great cities. Many more cultures have made the planet home, but the most fascinating, of course, are the colonists from Earth. Fleeing the Great Terran War, they brought their history and traditions to the outer reaches of the galaxy.

They also brought many invaluable historical artifacts.

The changing climate has left much of the planet covered by desert, and it is suspected the sands have hidden many a temple, palace or ancient city. The planet has also become home to a mix of alien races, and is now well-known as a dangerous destination.

But myths and legends of Terran treasure persist on Zerzura, and most astro-archeologists agree that a fabulous discovery awaits.

As the descending starship hit turbulence, Dr. Alexa Carter gasped, her stomach jumping.

But she didn’t feel sick, she felt
exhilarated
.

She stared out the window at the sand dunes of the planet below. Zerzura. The legendary planet packed with danger, mystery and history.

She was
finally
here. All she could see was sand dune, after yellow sand dune, all the way off into the distance. The dual suns hung in the sky, big and full—one gold and one red—baking the ground below.

But there was more to Zerzura than that. She knew, from all her extensive history training as an astro-archeologist, that the planet was covered in ruins—some old and others beyond ancient. She knew every single one of the myths and legends.

She glanced down at her lap and clutched the Sync communicator she was holding. Right here she had her ticket to finding an ancient Terran treasure.

Lexa thumbed the screen. She’d found the slim, ancient vase in the museum archives and initially thought nothing of the lovely etchings of priestesses on the side of it.

Until she’d finished translating the obscure text.

She’d been gobsmacked when she realized the text gave her clues that not only formed a map, but also described what the treasure was at the end. A famed Fabergé egg.

Excitement zapped like electricity through her veins. After a career spent mostly in the Galactic Institute of Historical Preservation and on a few boring digs in the central systems, she was now the curator of the Darend Museum on Zeta Volantis—a private and well-funded museum that was mostly just a place for her wealthy patron, Marius Darend, to house his extensive, private collection of invaluable artifacts from around the galaxy.

But like most in the galaxy, he had a special obsession with old Earth artifacts. When she’d gone to him with the map and proposal to go on a treasure hunt to Zerzura to recover it, he’d been more than happy to fund it.

So here she was, Dr. Alexa Carter, on a treasure hunt.

Her father, of course, had almost had a coronary when she’d told her parents she’d be gone for several weeks. That familiar hard feeling invaded her belly. Baron Carter did not like his only daughter working, let alone being an astro-archeologist, and he
really
didn’t like her going to a planet like Zerzura. He’d ranted about wild chases and wastes of time, and predicted her failure.

She straightened in her seat. She’d been ignoring her father’s disapproval for years. When she had the egg in her hands, then he’d have to swallow his words.

Someone leaned over her, a broad shoulder brushing hers. “Strap in, Princess, we’re about to land.”

Lexa’s excitement deflated a little. There was just one fly in her med gel.

Unfortunately, Marius has insisted she bring along the museum’s new head of security. She didn’t know much about Damon Malik, but she knew she didn’t like him. The rumor among the museum staff was that he had a super-secret military background.

She looked at him now, all long, and lean and dark. He had hair as black as her own, but skin far darker. She couldn’t see him in the military. His manner was too…well, she wasn’t sure what, exactly, but he certainly didn’t seem the type to happily take orders.

No, he preferred to be the one giving them.

He shot her a small smile, but it didn’t reach his dark eyes. Those midnight-blue eyes were always…intense. Piercing. Like he was assessing everything, calculating. She found it unsettling.

“I’m already strapped in, Mr. Malik.” She tugged on her harness and raised a brow.

“Just checking. I’m here to make sure you don’t get hurt on this little escapade.”

“Escapade?” She bit her tongue and counted to ten. “We have a map leading to the location of a very valuable artifact. That’s hardly an escapade.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess.” He shot a glance at the window and the unforgiving desert below. “This is a foolish risk for some silly egg.”

She huffed out a breath. Infuriating man. “Why get a job at a museum if you think artifacts are silly?”

He leaned back in his seat. “Because I needed a change. One where no one tried to kill me.”

Kill him? She narrowed her eyes and wondered again just what the hell he’d done before he’d arrived at the Darend.

A chime sounded and the pilot’s voice filtered into the plush cabin of Marius’ starship. “Landing at Kharga spaceport in three minutes. Hang on, ladies and gentlemen.”

Excitement filled Lexa’s belly. Ignoring the man beside her, she looked out the window again.

The town of Kharga was visible now. They flew directly over it, and she marveled at the primitive look and the rough architecture. The buildings were made of stone—some simple squares, others with domed roofs, and some a haphazard sprawl of both. In the dirt-lined streets, ragged beasts were led by robed locals, and battered desert speeders flew in every direction, hovering off the ground.

It wasn’t advanced and yes, it was rough and dangerous. So very different to the marble-lined floors and grandeur of the Darend Museum or the Institute’s huge, imposing museums and research centers. And it was the complete opposite of the luxury she’d grown up with in the central systems.

She barely resisted bouncing in her seat like a child. She couldn’t
wait
to get down there. She wasn’t stupid, she knew there were risks, but could hold her own and she knew when to ask for help.

The ship touched down, a cloud of dust puffing past the window. Lexa ripped her harness off, trying—and failing—to contain her excitement.

“Wait.” Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her back from the opening door. “I’ll go first.”

As he moved forward, she pulled a face at his broad back.
Arrogant know-it-all.

The door opened with quiet hiss. She watched him stop at the top of the three steps that had extended from the starship. He scanned the spaceport…well, spaceport was a generous word for it. Lexa wasn’t sure the sandy ground, beaten-up starships lined up beside them, and the battered buildings covered with black streaks—were those laser scorch marks?—warranted the term spaceport, but it was what it was.

Damon checked the laser pistols holstered at his lean hips then nodded. “All right.” He headed down the steps.

Lexa tugged on the white shirt tucked into her fitted khaki pants. Mr. Dark and Brooding might be dressed in all black, but she’d finally pulled her rarely used expedition clothes out of her closet for the trip. She couldn’t wait to get them dirty. She tucked her Sync into her small backpack, swung the bag over her shoulder and headed down the stairs.

“Our contact is supposed to meet us here.” She looked around but didn’t see anyone paying them much attention. A rough-looking freighter crew lounged near a starfreighter that didn’t even look like it could make it off the ground. A couple of robed humanoids argued with three smaller-statured reptilians. “He’s a local treasure hunter called Brocken Phoenix.”

Damon grunted. “Looks like he’s late. I suggest we head to the central market and ask around.”

“Okay.” She was eager to see more of Kharga and soak it all in.

“Stay close to me.”

Did he have to use that autocratic tone all the time? She tossed him a salute.