Chapter 2 - The Sound of the EngineMarcus carried his dented metal toolbox aboard the massive superyacht, stepping into an engine room larger than his apartment. Coleman and his team stood near the digital control displays with crossed arms, smirking at the local mechanic in grease-stained coveralls.
"Everything is controlled by the central computer," Coleman said smugly. "The software isn't receiving an ignition signal from the starboard drive."
Marcus didn't answer. He didn't plug in a diagnostic tablet or check the digital monitors. Instead, he crouched near the base of the massive twin-diesel setup, running his bare, calloused hands along the primary fuel intake lines, feeling for pressure variations and temperature differences.
He asked for a flashlight. Coleman ignored him, but Victoria handed him one herself, her fingers brushing against his rough hand.
Ten minutes later, Marcus unbolted a recessed access panel beneath the modern digital retrofit. Behind it sat an old, manually operated mechanical bypass valve—completely closed.
"Your computer couldn't find the problem because it isn't connected to the computer," Marcus said quietly, turning the heavy valve with careful pressure. A mechanical hiss echoed through the steel pipes.
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He stepped up to the main panel and hit the ignition switch.
The engine room shuddered as ninety million dollars of marine engineering roared to life, humming smoothly and perfectly. Coleman turned white. Victoria stared in total disbelief as Marcus calmly wiped his hands and packed his tools.
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