All Things in Their Own Time
By Caribou Kid
Lee Crane, captain of the Nelson Institute for Marine Research submarine SSRN Seaview, carefully stowed the luggage for himself and his boss, Admiral Harriman Nelson (ret), in the bright yellow marvel Flying Submarine One or FS-1, as it gently bobbed next to the dock. They had remained behind in Sydney, Australia, following a month long research voyage of the Great Barrier Reef to attend a forum on ocean science, and for Nelson to tie up some loose ends on a new research partnership between NIMR and the Australian government. Seaview had departed for home a week early under the capable leadership of Chip Morton, XO of the boat.
As Lee made sure all the bags had made it aboard FS-1, and that everything was properly secured he spotted his boss coming down the dock along with their host Dr. Gregory Luca. Both men wore dark sunglasses against the mid-morning sun, yet still seemed to be bothered by the glare. Lee laughed quietly to himself knowing exactly the reason for their condition. Following the last session of the forum, the participants were invited to a lavish dinner that extended well into the very wee hours of the morning.
Using the excuse that he had to do all the flying the next day, Lee excused himself from the festivities very early in the evening, leaving the admiral to freely engage with his peers without worrying about boring his captain and chosen son with shop talk. Nelson was close friends with a number of keynote speakers at the forum, and based on their voiced need to catch up on each other's lives, Lee expected them to be partying hard until the sun came up.
For Lee that was one of the most surprising discoveries he'd made after accompanying the admiral to some of these forums; the genius set was for the most part hard core party hounds belying their rather staid and stuffy public personas. Lee had always kidded Nelson that he and his colleagues were all such rabid partiers because they had an abundance of excess brain cells to sacrifice in the name of science and were making up for lost time during their youth spent in the lab. That comment was usually met with a harrumph and a request to pass the coffee and the aspirin bottle.
Lee was in no way surprised when he heard the door to their shared hotel suite open and close quietly around 0330 that morning. He stifled a laugh as he heard Harri rummaging through the small fridge in the mini-bar for the chilled bottles of water to begin the rehydration process and hopefully mitigate the roaring hangover he'd probably have when he got up later that morning.
"Morning, Dr. Luca," Lee called out cheerfully as the two men neared FS-1. The older man grimaced more than smiled and waved. Lee worked hard to bury his snicker and caught a quick glare from Nelson.
"Morning to you too, Captain. You're looking particularly chipper today," Luca replied as he took in Lee's broad blinding smile.
"Yes, sir. It's a great day for flying and I'm really looking forward to giving FS-1 a good workout on our long flight home," Lee answered. "Admiral, is there anything else that needs to be stowed aboard?"
"No Lee, I think you've got everything," Harri responded.
"Well why don't you give me your briefcase and I'll put it away for you," Lee offered.
Harri nodded and handed the case over to his captain. "Just leave it on the bunk, I want to pull out a couple of reports I'd like to read during the flight."
"Aye, sir," Lee answered and chuckled to himself knowing Harri would be out like a light almost before they left the dock. He bid farewell to Luca and climbed aboard FS-1 to begin the process of warming up the craft for their flight.
A few minutes later Harri climbed aboard and secured the aft hatch. He walked to the bunk, opened his briefcase, removed two documents from the case then shut it and stowed it in the aft locker. He removed his jacket and hung it up in the locker as well. He also pulled out his handkerchief, dabbed at the perspiration on his brow then shoved the cloth into his pocket and took the co-pilot's seat next to Lee.
As he sat down and began buckling in, he noticed Lee trying to bite back a smile as he quickly turned his head to regard the numerous switches on the panel to his left. "That's enough out of you, Captain," Harri groused. "Next time, I'm going to make you spend the entire evening with me since so much of NIMR's new business comes from these…um… meetings that occur following a conference."
"I didn't say a word, sir," Lee replied innocently, then finally gave in and started laughing at the sorry state of his commanding officer. "By the looks of it, and by the early or more appropriate late hour of your return this morning, I assume we should be set with work for the next year or more."
Nelson glowered at the younger man for nearly a minute then finally relented and began chuckling himself. "Oh god, I haven't drunk that much in years. I'd forgotten Luca's propensity for zombies and his gift of gab."
Lee shuddered in sympathy knowing that Harri had to have one wicked hangover, and given the concoction's name it tended to leave the imbiber very much like the walking dead in the morning. "Would you like me to pull a couple of bottles of water out of the cooler, sir?" Lee offered.
"No thanks, Lee. I'll have some coffee after we've taken off."
Lee nodded and continued on with his flight preparations. He double checked that Nelson was securely belted in then contacted the local air traffic control tower to notify them they were shoving off and would be taking flight shortly.
(ooloo)
Lee gently backed FS-1 away from the dock then motored slowly past the breakwater of the small boat harbor. Once he was in open ocean, he called the control tower and got clearance to take off. He punched the controls and FS-1 accelerated rapidly then lifted gracefully up off the ocean surface and climbed quickly into the air. He did a comprehensive check of all the systems ensuring that everything was in the green, then made a sweeping turn to starboard and started their 10-hour flight back to Santa Barbara.
After about 20 minutes into the flight, Lee noticed Harri beginning to do 'touch and goes'. As he nodded off his chin touched lightly on his chest and then he jerked his head up as he fought to stay awake. He contemplated suggesting Harri stretch out on the bunk but knew that would be shrugged off. Another 10 minutes and he was completely out snoring softly, his selected reading material lying in a heap on his lap.
Lee laughed quietly to himself and quickly checked his watch to see how closely he had come to his estimated time for Harri's departure. He smiled smugly having hit the time to the minute. Now left to his own devices until the admiral awoke, he began putting FS-1 through a series of subtle maneuvers changing direction, speed, and elevation to check her responsiveness. The little craft flew like a dream and answered every call her master made. The only thing that rivaled his time at the controls of FS-1 was skippering her big sister, Seaview.
Sleeping exceedingly deep, Harri hadn't registered any of his pilot's maneuverings. He was pulled reluctantly awake as something fluttered by his face tickling his nose and forehead. He reflexively batted at the irritation, then lazily pried open an eye to see what was annoying him. In the brief moment it took for him to register his surroundings, he went from completely relaxed to sitting bolt upright with a solid death grip on the arms of his seat. He was instantly alarmed at discovering the water up and the sky down.
"What the hell?!" Harri blustered.
So entranced and focused on his flying, Lee had neglected to notice the admiral waking up. "Oops," he replied quietly, then grinned sheepishly and blushed at least 10 shades of red. "Sorry, sir. Just got a little carried away." He then smoothly returned the craft to the correct orientation.
Harri glared at Lee for a long minute wondering what else he'd been doing since he nodded off. "Having a good time, Commander?" he asked petulantly.
Lee gave up any pretense of being embarrassed and smiled broadly at his CO and friend. "As a matter of fact, I am. Thank you for asking," he shot back and then burst out laughing. Hard as Harri tried, he couldn't hold his stern glare of disapproval and soon joined his chosen son in the laugh.
"Actually sir, I've been testing the controls and getting a better feeling for FS-1's full capabilities," Lee offered lamely.
"Yeah, right," Harri deadpanned. "I take it you found my company less than stimulating."
Lee laughed again. "The conversation was dragging a bit, sir."
"Just keep it level and right side up, shall we son? Am I going to be forced to have arrows painted inside indicating which side should be up?"
Lee just chuckled as he put the small craft on auto pilot then unbuckled his harness. "Would you like some coffee now, Harri?" Harri nodded his agreement and Lee pushed up out of his seat and moved to one of the aft lockers to unpack a thermos and two cups.
(ooloo)
Harri reached down and picked up the reports now resting on the deck at his feet and chuckled to himself. It was so rare to see the playful side of his captain peeking out, something that prior to them working jointly on the creation of FS-1, would have never been allowed to occur. Regardless the situation, Lee always maintained a certain formality with Harri and as hard as he tried to get the younger man to loosen up and just let go, it never happened. He seemed to have a pathological need to always maintain control and keep a part of himself safe behind stout walls.
As they spent countless hours poring over the blueprints for FS-1, making adjustments and fine tuning the design, then the actual construction and flight testing, Lee finally began to let down his walls and let loose some of the reins of control. Harri had been delighted to finally be privy to that seldom seen aspect of the younger man's personality. When fully at ease and relaxed, he was prone to any number of pranks and owned a wicked sense of humor that left Harri shaking his head in amazement. He had seen fleeting glimpses of it as Lee and Chip interacted, but that was only after whatever mayhem had been set loose on the other man and retribution was being exacted by the offended party.
The work on their joint project reminded Harri very much of a similar effort with his own father during his one year in the Cub Scouts. They had worked diligently on designing and building a small wooden racecar for the organization's annual Pinewood Derby. It was one of the few times Harri remembered ever being fully at ease in his father's company, as the task seemed to foster a sense of comradery and trust. His father had been so proud of Harri when his little car won the entire event on his first try. They never seemed to recapture that ease with each other again as his intellect was recognized for what it was, and he was ushered into the world of advanced academics and forced to leave many of the joys of childhood behind. To this day he lamented the loss of that easy intimacy with his father.
He was thoroughly surprised to have recaptured that joy and sense of comradery with Lee as they worked on his high tech version of the little racer. His captain, never shy about voicing his opinion as it pertained to operations on Seaview, and the safety and security of his crew, for the first time truly shared openly his own brilliance and was thrilled at Harri's response and appreciation of his ideas. By the time they declared FS-1 fully functional and ready for operation, they had established a new level of familiarity and trust. The deep seated respect Lee held for Harri was still there and very much in evidence in public, but in private he now interacted with him more as an equal, and as a confidant and special friend; all formality and reservations were gone. They had truly become father and son.
Unbeknownst to Lee, Harri had already initiated steps to make that new dynamic more permanent. He had instructed his attorney to modify his will making Lee his primary beneficiary and heir to his NIMR organization. Lee would take over leadership and become the guiding influence once Harri retired. Harri smiled, pleased at having found his successor, and could think of no one better to protect and preserve all he had worked for during his life. He had planned to tell Lee once they got back to NIMR, but the more he thought it over, the more he felt now would be the perfect time. Lee was completely relaxed, there would be no interruptions and he couldn't escape until they landed.
(ooloo)
"What?" Lee asked, as he observed the broad smile on Nelson's face, as he handed him a cup of coffee.
"Huh? Oh nothing. Thanks," Harri responded as he accepted the cup, a bit chagrined to be caught daydreaming.
"Why are you smiling like the cat that just ate the canary?" Lee inquired.
"No reason in particular," Nelson lied. "Just enjoying the flight and the company. So how long before we're home?"
"Hmmm," Lee replied, not the least bit convinced about that. He was able to read Harri like a book any more, especially since spending all that time together working on FS-1. He knew the man was up to something and that look on his face usually meant Nelson had some plan or surprise in mind for him, which at times could be quite daunting. "We should be back in another 6 hours. We have one heck of a tail wind and are making great time."
"Excellent. So are you going to give me any flight time this trip?" Nelson asked as he sipped on his coffee.
Lee looked at him almost affronted by the request, then a large smile spread across his face. "Yeah, I suppose I can give you a couple of hours, as long as you don't hurt my baby."
"Your baby? As I recall I'm the one with the pink slip," Harri bantered back.
"That's just a technical detail, she's my girl," Lee said as he laughed and winked at Harri. "You just have the better insurance rate, that's why we put her in your name."
They sat quietly for a few minutes sipping on their coffee and looking out at the endless expanse of ocean in front of them. Feeling his courage sufficiently bolstered, Harri cleared his throat.
"You ready to take over the controls?" Lee asked.
"No, not right now. Just leave it on autopilot for a while. There is however something I would like to discuss with you."
"Oh? Something from the conference or something with Seaview or NIMR?" Lee inquired, somewhat perplexed by the pensive expression now on Harri's face.
"Only indirectly, son. Lee… Geez how do I really say this?" Harri began. Lee furrowed his brow becoming somewhat concerned with Harri's struggle for words. "Lee, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the time we spent together on the FS-1 project. I really felt that it brought us much closer, we have become much more than just friends; that we have built a very deep trust and regard for each other."
Lee nodded his agreement with that statement. "Yes sir, I enjoyed it very much myself. I appreciated the opportunity to work so closely with you, to get a true glimpse into your creative genius, and to just have the chance to hang out. I hope you will pardon my impertinence, but I kind of imagined it was what it would be like working on something with a father," Lee offered, hoping he wouldn't embarrass himself or Nelson. "I know at Christmas you said you thought of me as your son, well sir, I've long thought of you as… um… my dad."
Harri smiled, reached over and patted Lee on the shoulder. "That's exactly what I'd like to discuss with you Lee. There are some things I would like to do and want your input on it before I finalize everything."
Lee smiled in return. It was quite obvious from his expression that his curiosity was piqued by Harri's words. "Hey did you just see that?"
"See what? Where?"
"A large bright flash, at three o'clock," Lee replied as he pointed past Harri's shoulder. They both peered out the window looking for the flash Lee had described.
"Why don't you take us back over the area and we'll see if we can find it," Nelson replied, his curiosity now piqued by Lee's observation.
"Aye, sir." Lee quickly flipped off the autopilot and initiated a wide banking turn to starboard as he circled back around to the area where he saw the flash. As they flew over, they noticed a small crescent shaped atoll that had formed around a deep hole in the ocean floor, a feature normally formed when subterranean caves collapsed. Lee slowed their speed and circled around the unique little islet. As they looked it over they were nearly blinded by another brilliant flash emanating from the center of the deep hole.
"What the hell?" Harri remarked as he rubbed his eyes trying to get rid of the purple and yellow dots that danced in his vision. "I've never seen anything like that before."
"Me either," Lee answered. "I didn't see anybody down there, do you think we should drop down and take a look?"
"Why not, we've got time."
Lee nodded and flipped on the radio. "FS-1 to NIMR Control."
"NIMR Control, we read you FS-1."
"NIMR Control we are going to divert from our flight plan and land to investigate an odd phenomenon we just observed. I'm transmitting coordinates now," Lee stated.
"Copy that FS-1. We have received your updated coordinates. Do you have an estimated time for how long you will be on site?" the controller asked.
"Negative at this time. Once we land, I'll call back and give you a better estimate after we've had a closer look."
"Copy that FS-1. We'll be standing by for your update."
"Roger, NIMR Control. FS-1 out." Lee turned off the radio then began his descent to the atoll. He quickly brought the small craft down and placed it gracefully on the ocean surface without so much as a bump.
"She really is your baby, isn't she Lee?" Harri remarked as he admired the skill and finesse his captain had for the craft. Lee just smiled and nodded as he guided FS-1 towards the shore of the atoll. He carefully beached the small craft on the widest point of the white sand beach and cut the engines.
They both scanned the area for any indications that someone was around. There were no signs of people or animals on the islet. "Well, do you want to get out?" Lee asked.
"Since we're here, we might as well," Harri replied with a broad smile. Lee just shook his head in mild amusement. With Harri's curiosity now fully engaged, they were going to be here for at least an hour trying to discover the cause of the flash.
Lee flipped the radio back on. "FS-1 to NIMR Control."
"NIMR Control, go ahead FS-1."
"We've landed safely and have beached FS-1 on the shore of the atoll. We're heading out to investigate and will be gone at least an hour. I'll check back in 60 minutes to confirm our status."
"Copy FS-1, we'll be waiting for you signal in 60 minutes. Be careful out there, you're a long way from anywhere."
"Roger that NIMR Control. Be talking to you shortly, FS-1 out." Lee shut off the radio, unbuckled his harness and climbed out of his seat to join the admiral. Harri was at the aft hatch already spinning the hatch wheel. Lee smiled then moved to the locker next to the hatch and pulled out two guns and holsters and handed one to Nelson.
"You really think those are going to be necessary? I don't know about you but I didn't spot anything that looked the least bit dangerous," Harri replied as he accepted the weapon.
"Chalk it up to my life as a spy, I don't like going into unknown situations without a little backup on my hip," Lee answered as he fastened the belt around his waist.
"Anyone ever tell you you're a tad bit paranoid?" Harri kidded back.
"Ever wonder why I'm still alive? And just because you're not paranoid, doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you too." Lee replied evenly, then winked.
"Point taken," Harri said with a laugh. "Come on son, let's go check this out and then we can head for home."
(ooloo)
Harri made the last turn of the hatch wheel and pushed open the door. A surge of hot air rushed into FS-1 eliciting a groan of discomfort from both men. Nelson stepped outside and was quickly followed by Crane.
"Well, what now?" Lee asked.
"Let's walk the shoreline on both sides of the hole and if we don't see anything that could have made the flash, we'll just consider it an odd anomaly and head back home."
"Sounds like a plan to me. Lead the way sir."
The atoll was at most 600 yards long and about 100 yards wide covered entirely in fine white sand and nothing else. Lee had beached FS-1 at its midpoint which would allow them to do a complete shoreline walk of the island and end up back at their ride. Harri started walking east on the ocean side with Lee at his side. They both scanned the water and sand for any sign of what had caught their attention.
They rounded the end of the island and began their walk along the inside shoreline along the deep hole. Again they spied nothing as they ambled along the water's edge. Looking down into the hole they noticed a diverse wealth of sea life, but nothing that looked capable of generating a burst of light. They continued on until they returned to FS-1 having completely walked the small island's shoreline.
"That was somewhat anticlimactic," Lee offered as he keyed in his combination on FS-1's lock.
"To say the least," Harri agreed. "I guess we'll just chalk it up to some weather anomaly. Although, we could take FS-1 to the bottom of the hole and see if we spot anything there. Maybe there's some sort of volcanic vent or something that causes the water to churn up from time to time. What do you think, son?"
Not thrilled at the idea of venturing down to find an explosive volcanic vent, Lee remained silent for a moment as he weighed the pros and cons of doing that now. Odds were that it was something as simple as that and there was limited danger, but without backup from Seaview, he was hesitant to make the dive. On the other hand, he also knew that if they didn't do it now they would be back here at the first opportunity, and he really wasn't interested in returning to this wide spot in the south Pacific.
"Well, I'm waiting," Harri prodded.
"Yes sir, I guess we can take her down a ways and see what we find. I don't suppose there's all that much risk," Lee hedged. His less than excited response had Harri laughing.
"Oh come on, why don't you take a ride on the wild side? Let's throw a little caution to the wind."
"Seriously, sir? Me take a ride on the wild side?" Lee replied skeptically. "Aren't you the one constantly telling me I take too many risks?"
Nelson looked at his captain then turned on his best sad puppy dog eyes to get the younger man to capitulate. "Awww, not the sad admiral eyes. Sheesh. Alright sir, get aboard and we'll take a look in the hole," Lee said as he relented and they both began laughing.
(ooloo)
Once aboard and buckled in, Lee contacted NIMR Control to update their situation. He informed them they would be descending into the hole for a look and then resume their trip home. He fired up the engines, backed the little sub off the beach then motored around the island and entered the small lagoon.
"Can you get a depth reading on that thing, sir?"
Harri quickly perused the gauges. "Wow that's deeper than I would have thought. According to the gauge it bottoms out at 500 feet."
"That's amazing to be that deep and yet so clear, I swear I could see the bottom from the air. Well here we go," Lee said as he submerged FS-1 and began their descent into the hole.
As they began to descend, Harri hit the switch to begin videotaping their trip to the bottom. They were both surprised at the diversity of the fish, coral, and plant life that called the watery pit home. Reaching 300 feet, there was a sudden surge of turbulence and a curtain of bubbles began flowing upwards past the sub followed by an intense flash of light and a high pitched whine that left the two men momentarily blinded with their hands clapped firmly over their ears.
FS-1 pitched and spun in the wake of the turbulence. Lee dropped his hands from his ears and instinctively grabbed the control sticks and desperately tried to steer his boat upwards and out of the growing whirlpool. The next thing they knew there was a powerful surge of energy that washed over their craft and then there was nothing as they lost consciousness and the little yellow sub was sucked into the void below.
(ooloo)