For me, Between bubbles remains "what happened". But this does not prevent us from considering other possibilities.

1947

Six o'clock, the fateful hour. The battle has lasted all night, with the troops hard at defending the Swordfish assembly line, the defenders' last hope and, beyond, the whole world's oppressed people's last hope. Blake, as an experienced pilot, volunteered for the first flight of the prototype designed by Professor Mortimer, who as a designer and expert on his aircraft volunteered to pilot the second.

How many men have already fallen to defend the base! The enemies are almost at the last door to the assembly hall. They have almost won. But finally it is time! The professor's team have completed their preparations and the first two Swordfish are ready to be piloted - even if it is only manually.

Blake rushes to his friend who, while helping him with his flight equipment, makes his last recommendations. The captain does his best to concentrate on Mortimer's words and not on the comforting warmth of his hands, on this human and welcome contact which takes him away from the fury of the fighting he has just left, and to which he will have to go back. But if Philip Mortimer is at his side, nothing feels impossible.

Suddenly, a foreman rushes towards Mortimer, interrupting his explanation of the safety instructions.

"Professor, one of the seals in the SX2's cockpit is leaking. It'll take us 15 minutes to sort out, maybe more ."

"Dammit!" the professor curses.

Fatality. Thinks Blake. It is Fate's will. He will be alone, then, the last defender of the base on its knees but not yet defeated, and briefly, an old memory crosses his mind.

All our best men lie by the ships wounded by arrow or spear thrust.**

And immediately taking his decision, he speaks up: "Listen, old chap, time is of the essence."

Too bad. He will fight dearly for his life and will do as much damage as possible, but as the only target of the whole Empire's fleet, his chances are low - unless this new weapon is truly revolutionary. The arrival of the second Swordfish will be decisive.

"I'll go ahead, join me as soon as possible,"

Let me borrow that armour of yours.

The poem's echo reminds him of its fatal outcome. It is quite possible that this assault will turn out for the worse. If the man he loves can be saved, Blake is not afraid of sacrificing himself.

"Besides, if I fail, your presence here is much more vital than mine."

"Fine," replies Mortimer, "but in that case stay in radio contact."

It is time for farewell, perhaps forever this time. Blake does not want to leave without confessing the emotion which holds him in its grasp. He hugs his fellow soldier, and, as his words fail him, he draws on the ancient eloquence and on the image that has just struck him. "The enemy is besieging the Achaean ships and it is with your weapons that I go fight them." He whispers to his friend's ear. "If I fall in battle, strapped in your Swordfish, it will be like being in your arms." Then, pulling back with a last pressure on Mortimer's forearms he adds: "Wish me luck!"

Then Blake rushes to the ladder, climbs aboard the SX1, and casts a last look back, so that the last face he sees is Mortimer's. "Goodbye, Mortimer!" he says before disappearing into the cockpit.

"Good luck, Blake!" The answer bursts forth, worried.

Mortimer removes his helmet to take charge of the manoeuvre, and dons headphones to communicate with the submarine. As he gives his orders to the team, he wonders what Blake might have meant with this last farewell. Patroclus and Achilles? At this moment?

At the time, he was still in shock at having to let Blake leave alone. All he understood was that the captain would risk his life without him. It was almost mechanically that he had answered his friend's injunction to wish him good luck, but now it came back to him: It will be like in your arms.

He feels his throat tighten. Patroclus and Achilles. Mortimer would never have dared hope for it. He himself feels all the affection that it is possible to have of a platonic relationship for Francis Blake. Did his friend really mean that more was possible? But he cannot let himself be distracted: he is needed for the maneuver. "Ready on the pumps!"

Professional, he must stay professional. The fate of the world depends on them, every moment counts, and most importantly Blake must be able to concentrate on his piloting. This is not the time to distract him. For Mortimer, Blake's safety must now be a priority. He refocuses on the checklist "Hello! Blake! Is everything all right? Pressure? Water tightness?

His invention seems to behave as expected, but he cannot prevent the anxiety that grasps him at every new step Francis takes with the prototype.

Suddenly, the foreman from before comes to warn him: the second Swordfish is ready. He will be able to join his friend, to support his wingman to whom he announces the news. "I'm on my way!"

"Well, Mortimer, goodbye, and God save England! On hearing the last words of Blake leaping towards the surface, Mortimer rushes to the second aircraft and engages the maneuver. Every minute, every second counts as Blake fights alone against the enemy.

He listens anxiously to his radio. Trembling at every second of the engagement.

But the Swordfish proves its strength!

One after the other, its targets are struck by its atomic rockets, almost at the same time as an impressive blast effect that follows the device.***

The Swordfish not afraid of the waves. Blake uses the sea to his advantage, not hesitating it to skim the surface.

Mortimer reassures himself little by little, each announcement of a hit on a target has the taste of victory. Maybe Blake did not need his help after all!

But suddenly the radio sizzles, Blake calls and the anxiety is clearly noticeable in his voice. Something serious is happening! "Mortimer! Mortimer! The elevators are stuck! I've lost pitch control!"

Immediately, Mortimer understands the danger. "Heavens!" He shouts the command that must save Blake in his radio: "The cockpit, quick! Eject the cockpit" In the end, it will be up to him to protect Blake, if he survives the few minutes where, vulnerable outside his hull, he will be at the mercy of the smallest well-aimed shot. "I'm coming!"

He is close to the surface, but he is not there yet, and at every second passing Mortimer rages and prays with all his soul that Francis survives. The only reason he does not scream in his radio to encourage Blake, to tell him that he too would do everything to never lose him, ignoring the operators who could hear him, is that by ejecting, Blake has lost radio contact, as the wireless device was part of the aircraft.

These are very long seconds for Mortimer, who is watching his future targets on the radar, until finally the SX2 surfaces.

The fighters first! These mobile units are the most dangerous! Turning around, Mortimer has spotted Blake's parachute, which he strives to protect at all costs, targeting the units that could put him in danger one by one. Gradually, Mortimer widens his perimeter until the last aircraft carrier is destroyed.

Then, ignoring the few surviving ships fleeing in every direction, he approaches Blake, who had landed safely and is preparing to touch down on the surface. He cannot wait another moment!

Mortimer still takes the time to unfold his ladder – he would look clever jumping out of his cockpit if he could not get back in his plane - then jumps overboard to the water to join Blake who is waiting for him on the shore.

Immediately upon hitting land, Mortimer throws himself into Blake's arms. "Never again! Blake, never do something like this again!" He loosens his embrace to look his friend in the eyes. "I, too - " he begins, before starting again and spinning the metaphor the captain began earlier: "Until the end of the war, I'm not leaving your side. To hell with Briseis!"

Their first kiss, in front of the burning fleet, has a taste of iodine, salt and a smell of smoke.

* See The Secret of the Swordfish - SX1 strikes back

** The Iliad, song XVI

*** Lhasa - Oran's base in 2 hours: the Swordfish reaches at least mach 1.4 on average on a long journey! (For information, in our world in which the third world war did not take place, the Bell X-1 was the first device to cross the sound barrier in horizontal flight on October 14, 1947).