Thanks to everyone for reading and a special thanks for taking the time to review! I love hearing from you and hope you enjoy the rest of the story, as we unravel the mystery of the pings. Lynn : )
Chapter Ten
"Missile Room, this is the Exec."
"Missile Room, Aye; Sharkey here."
"What's our status there, Chief?"
"The Detection Equipment has been retrieved and stowed, Sir. We're ready to deploy the Net when you're ready, Sir."
"Very well, standby."
"Aye Sir."
Chip shipped the mic and looked across the Chart Table to Lee who was going over the new course and check points with Lt. O'Brien.
"The Net is ready to deploy, Sir," Chip reported.
"Very well, Mr. Morton. Any time you're ready Mr. O'Brien," Lee said with a confident nod to the junior officer who was taking the Con to deploy the Net, a maneuver which required a skilled touch until the Net picked up the resistance of the water in order to keep from tangling on itself, or worse; sucked into the intake valves.
"Aye, Sir," he replied, reaching for the mic.
"Missile Room; this is the Officer of the Deck, standby to deploy."
"Missile Room, aye," Sharkey replied.
He double clicked and continued. "Engine room; all ahead, dead slow."
"Aye Sir; dead slow."
O'Brien held the mic ready as Chip called out the boat condition.
"200 feet keel to bottom; trim satisfactory."
Bobby nodded, concentrating until he felt a very small and barely indiscernible shudder as the drag of the submarine against the water was neutralized by Seaview's forward movement, then clicked the mic. "Missile Room, deploy the Net."
"Missile Room, aye. The Net is away."
"Very well, Chief, secure the detail," the young officer ordered and then double clicked. "Engine room, all ahead one-third," he said shipping the mic and scanning the situation lights. "Steady as she goes Helm," he ordered, blowing out a small breath of relief.
"Nice job, Bobby," Lee complimented with an encouraging hand to the shoulder. "Let's go see what it looks like."
O'Brien followed him to the monitor near Sonar.
"Aft camera," he ordered as the Sonar operator turned on the monitor and activated the camera.
Bobby held his breath until the monitor tuned in, and was finally able to breathe normally again when the camera revealed a perfectly deployed Electronics Net that would gather data as they made their way to their next coordinates.
"Excellent work, Mr. O'Brien," Lee complimented and then checked his watch. "I'm going to take a walk and then head to my cabin."
"Aye, Sir. Have a good night, Sir," Bobby replied.
O'Brien already had the Con so Lee headed aft for his nightly walk about the boat.
"Good job, Bobby," Chip offered the younger officer when O'Brien returned to the Chart Table.
"Thanks, Chip," he answered, glad to have the maneuver behind him, but feeling pretty good inside that he had aced it.
"Well, I'm going to turn in," Chip announced, pushing off the Chart Table.
"Aye, Sir, have a good night, Mr. Morton," he offered, before opening the log book and taking note of his first check point and settling into the routine of the Watch.
# # # # #
Lee knocked on the Lab door and then opened it tentatively as he waited for a response from the Admiral.
"Come in, Lee," Harry greeted, stretching as he addressed Seaview's Captain, who was standing just inside the open door. "I felt us get underway," he mentioned casually.
"Aye, Sir," Lee said, sitting on the edge of the table and looking over the charts laid out before Harry. "How's it looking?"
"We're definitely on the right track," Harry said, tapping the circle marking the search area they were currently heading for.
"Good. O'Brien has the Watch," he informed the Admiral, before smiling. "He just deployed his first Net."
"Good. I barely felt it," the Admiral replied, noting Lee's satisfaction at the junior officer's success.
"Well, I'm bushed tonight. I'm going to hit the sack early," Lee announced to Harry's noncommittal nod.
"That's a good idea, I'm almost through here."
"Do you want me to help you stow this?" Lee asked sincerely.
"No, no," Harry said with a raised hand. "I have a few more things to check before I turn in."
"All right," Lee replied in relaxed conversation. "Good night, Sir."
"Good night, Lee."
Harry bent back over his work as Lee left and pulled the door behind him. He was glad that Lee was settling in for the night, he hadn't wanted to hover, but he'd noticed that Lee was looking a little run-down today. A good night sleep is just what he needs, he thought distractedly, and then finished his thoughts on the last salinity readings.
# # # # #
Night time had fallen on the submarine; well, a simulated night anyway, the spirit amended as he made his way to Morton's cabin. The hazy mist entered through the vent grate and hovered over his chosen vessel. He knew that by morning they would be near enough the island that Nelson would surely investigate; his plan was well on its way to completion. By mid-morning, or early afternoon at the latest, Captain Crane would investigate and find the installation. His elaborate scheme was working perfectly; all his planning, all the disturbances, everything he had set in place to confound everyone else investigating the pings and yet, to lure Seaview to this place was complete. He really had no more need to use Morton's body; as long as Seaview proceeded through the night to the coordinates that he had arranged for, that is.
The spirit brooded a moment, realizing that a moment of truth was upon him. If he so chose, he could stop this plan by possessing Morton once again to readjust the Inertial Navigator. Seaview would arrive at her originally intended coordinates and he would possess Morton's body. The unexplained pings and disturbances would disappear as mysteriously as they had begun a year ago, and no one would know that he now commanded Morton's body to live out his stolen life.
The thought both disturbed and intrigued him at the same time. Everything that was once Hulbert Krause warred against the temptation; enough so, that he withdrew from the cabin. But the war deep within him was far from over. He had two choices. On the one hand; stay to the original course he had laid out in his well-thought out plan to bring the Seaview here. On the other hand; the opportunity to live the life he had been cheated out of through Morton's body.
It should have never been an issue for him, but he found himself greatly distressed at the choice he now faced.
He exited Morton's cabin under the door and found himself drawn like an insect to light to a nearby cabin. He had unfinished business he wanted to explore and perhaps, he'd find the answer to his dilemma through the accessed memories of Crane's experience with Krueger.
# # # # #
The cabin was dark as the neon green mist swept across the deck toward the sleeping man. When he reached the edge of the bunk, the mist rose up to hover over Crane. Last night's probe had left him noticeably weary and tired, and he was currently in a deep sleep. He reached a tentacle of mist toward Crane's head to probe, but withdrew in a sudden self-check. He was well aware that these memories were painful for the sleeping man who was forced to relive them in his dreams. They had been neatly tucked away, and he realized, quite private. Yet, there was something in Krueger's story remotely familiar to his own situation, and so he pushed on.
His probing produced a scowl on the sleeping captain's face, but as before, the spirit was now in control and Crane was not allowed to wake, even as he tossed his head uncomfortably. The spirit eased off the probe for a moment, sensing Crane's greatest regrets lay in these next memories. He questioned his right to proceed, and whether he had a right to delve deeper. The man that Hulbert Krause used to be would certainly not have approved, but he consoled himself knowing that the answer to his dilemma could very well lie in the very detailed account of Krueger's possession of Crane. He was also well-aware that there was a second, and most certainly, less honorable reason for proceeding. The vast array of emotions he was able to experience through this probe was like an elixir to the cold soul stuck between two worlds.
Like a cheap B-movie weekly serial, he reminded himself of where he had left off with Crane's probe last evening. His essence swelled in a cold chill recalling Krueger's complete dominance and control over Crane's body. The U-boat's commander had flown the flying sub, utilizing Crane's knowledge and skill with perfect ease. He approached the island, ready to lure the beautiful Maria to Lani's resting place.
It was more than curiosity that was peaked in Hulbert's spirit form, for these memories were alive with passion, pain, and deep determination as Krueger pushed forth with his plans. All the while, Crane fought back with everything he had inside, even though he was helpless to stop the intruder's will. It was the passion of the human experience that he couldn't ignore, he'd been away too long and his very existence craved it.
Curious, he abandoned his better judgement and probed deeper, even basking in the uncomfortable scene as Krueger watched Maria dance, then seduced the willing young lady to join him for a boat ride to Mulayu.
His essence swelled once again, as he picked up Krueger's memories where he had been forced to leave off the night before.
# # # # #
The island had been deserted for over sixty years, and Maria was well-aware of the stories of the "cursed" island. Still, she was a modern young woman and had long-since abandoned many of the taboos of her native people. It hadn't taken much for her to gaze into the hazel green eyes of her "captain" as he promised to take her to the nearby island to see sights she'd never seen before. He was tall, and his leather jacket with its gold braided epaulettes hung tantalizingly across his shoulders. The lines of his face were classically handsome, and when he smiled she was smitten with desire. He'd been dashing, and debonair, treating her like a lady; something the regular patrons of the island bar often failed to do when trying to obtain her interest.
"It is beautiful, just as you said," she noted, reaching for his extended hand to steady her as she stepped out of the rubber raft.
"Come vith me," he enticed without hiding his German accent, holding her hand and leading her through the jungle...
# # # # #
Lee shuddered in anguish, helplessly watching the events unfold, his body participating and yet powerless to stop Krueger. He was well-aware of Krueger's intent to strangle Maria, so as not to damage her body for Lani's sake. He begged, pleaded, and even invoked Lani's morals and nature; but Krueger only laughed inwardly and continued to lead the girl down the path that led to the burial grounds.
All the while, Lee's life was slipping away. Though the physical blood loss had been temporarily abated by Krueger's ghostly presence, it was Lee that bore the burden of the consequential pain. In addition, he was now using what strength he had left to find a way to stop Krueger from completing his plans against Maria. He had no weapon to use against Krueger; the ghost's use of the supernatural wasn't something he could fight. The only strategy he could employ was to continue to call upon Lani's morals as a deterrent to Krueger's planned actions. This, however, was becoming increasingly more dangerous, as the U-boat commander took his rage out on Lee's stricken consciousness. By the time Krueger and Maria reached the burial grounds, Lee was little more than a bystander, his voice silenced by the crushing will of Krueger's cruel affliction. Helplessly, he watched as the frightened girl tried to leave the graveyard, only to be attacked by the man she thought to be the handsome and attentive Lee Crane.
His spirit suffered greatly when he actually felt his own hands wrap around her neck and squeeze. "No, Krueger, don't do this!" he begged.
Krueger ignored his pleas and continued to squeeze until she fell unconscious, her body limp in his strong hands. She needed only cling to life for a moment before Lani inhabited her body, Krueger had reasoned, and thus the evil ghost relented before killing her completely. Then he stepped back and invoked Lani from her rest, presenting the dancing girl's body as the means to experience the love he desired in this life.
Lee was nearly unconscious; his own life fading quickly while watching the scene unfold, as Lani acted just as he believed she would; resisting Krueger's evil plan and vowing to stop him. He knew Lani as well as Krueger at this point, and he realized that Krueger had completely misread her character. Where he was drawn to her innocence, and where her sweet morals intrigued the old sea salt, he had wrongly interpreted those characteristics as naïve and weak, one that could be dominated by his strength. But, it was no surprise to Lee to witness her inner strength as she dismissed Krueger's lame excuses for his incomprehensible actions. Lee felt Krueger's surprise and shock as she left his presence; flabbergasted to realize that she was not under his control at all, and vacated Lee's body to pursue Lani in his spirit form. In that instant, Lee's spirit was restored with full control of his physical being, but the joy and relief at owning his own body again was short-lived as the shock and pain of the bullet wound overtook him, rendering him unconscious as he crumbled to the ground.
He had no idea how much time had passed, but when his awareness returned, he realized that he wasn't stuffed back into that suffocating closet in his mind, as before. He was indeed gloriously alone in his own body, but that realization was accompanied with the pain of his life-threatening wound, which had begun bleeding once again.
He heard a stirring and raised his head wearily to the now recovering island girl, Maria. The pain of what his hands had inflicted upon the frightened young woman overtook even the agony of the untreated bullet wound as Lee addressed her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do it," he offered, his voice cracking and weak, while he held his side in a vain effort to keep his life's-blood from draining away. "I swear, I didn't mean to hurt you," he declared before the totality of both his wound and the harrowing experience took him to unconsciousness once more.
His awareness was shocked awake, however, when he felt the now well-recognizable presence of Krueger returning. His dread of the ghost's return was superseded by the sound of Maria's voice, full of palpable fear. He was unable to rouse his body to full wakefulness and could only hear her distantly, but he was completely aware of two things: her fear, and Krueger's presence approaching.
"Who are you?" she asked, and when there was no answer, she asked again, then the air was filled with her terror-filled screams as Krueger entered Lee's body. He fought desperately to keep Krueger from invading his body once again, but found himself easily pressed back inside the closet. It was even more stifling than before; Krueger was determined to take her life, knowing the act would bring Lani back from wherever she had gone, if for no other reason than to protect the girl. Lee found himself curled back into a mental fetal position, not out of his own fear, but because the space Krueger had relegated him to had been shrunken to near non-existence. Even his voice to fight had been silenced, a sign that his life was dangerously close to ending. Yet, his greatest pain wasn't induced by the Admiral's bullet; his greatest pain was in feeling his hands close on Maria's neck once again.
# # # # #
A man isn't supposed to cry… he'd always heard that, but when he felt the vileness of Krueger's emotions surging through his body as he lay over Maria squeezing the life away, he wept bitterly. There was no hope left, Maria was going to die at his hands… and he was powerless to stop it. He looked away, but he could still see the murderous act through Krueger's eyes. He felt everything Krueger felt… he knew everything Krueger knew… and he couldn't even escape watching Maria's assault.
All was lost… until, he heard Harry's voice.
"Krueger! Get up!"
Was he dreaming? he asked frantically. Krueger turned to face the Admiral, and a small measure of hope returned. "Harry," he called, but no one heard him, even Krueger ignored him as if his voice was too inconsequential to be heard now.
"Get up," Harry demanded again, his gun pointing squarely at Crane/Krueger's gut.
"Put away the gun. It is useless against me," Krueger demanded in utter disgust that his plans had been delayed.
Lee knew instantly that Krueger was bluffing. The gun! All of the sudden the answer was crystal clear. "Shoot me, Admiral!" he screamed from inside his prison, but Harry couldn't hear him. He knew as well as Krueger, that while the ghost inhabited his body, he was completely vulnerable to a new wound. It would be Krueger's spirit that bore the consequence of the bullet since his spirit was in control. He knew it was the only way to keep Krueger from killing Maria. "Shoot me!" he begged again, in a complete reversal of the events in the Control Room. He remembered vividly the feelings of utter betrayal to first feel the searing hot pain of the bullet in his side, and then to look up and see the smoking gun in Harriman Nelson's hand. But now, that smoking gun was the answer to save Maria and to set him free to die with the knowledge that his body could no longer be hijacked into doing evil.
"Is it?" Harry countered knowingly. "You're real now, a physical body," he stated, presenting facts that the ghost could not deny.
"You've have talked with Lani," Krueger spat out accusingly.
Now Lee understood. Of course! Lani guided Harry here! he thought in sudden recognition, before using the last of his strength to yell at Krueger. "Lani is stronger than you think, Krueger!" he taunted. "She will never be part of this evil!" He was satisfied to feel Krueger tense sharply at his words; the ghost may have been ignoring him, but he was most certainly being heard.
"That's right, and she wants nothing to do with this. You're going to stop a bullet now, Krueger," Harry returned, unaware that he was participating in a two-front assault in conjunction with Lee.
Krueger glared, his anger swelling in intensity.
"I will be back! Then none of you will leave this island alive," the ghost vented heatedly, suddenly releasing his captive. "I am stronger than she!" he declared, unable to accept that his will could possibly be resisted. Suddenly, he abandoned Lee's body, fleeing in his spirit form to not only find Lani, but to escape Nelson's bullet. For he indeed knew, that if Harriman Nelson was strong enough to pull the trigger to save 124 men aboard Seaview, then he'd be strong enough to kill his best friend in order to save Maria, subsequently setting Crane's spirit and body free in death.
That was the last of Krueger's thoughts to invade Lee Crane's mind, for as soon as Krueger departed, he crumbled in agony once again; this time too close to death to be aware of anything else around him.
# # # # #
The temperature in the cabin had dropped again as the spirit soaked in the drama, he was completely drawn in, experiencing the explosive emotions and passion vicariously, when all of the sudden the silence in the cabin was invaded by an ominous rumble followed immediately by a subsequent jolt.
The spirit disconnected hastily when he realized that Crane had registered the submarine's predicament, and by sheer will power was barreling past the spirit to force his own wakefulness. The spirit withdrew its misty tentacles, retreating in a frantic swirling motion that dissipated into midair only a split second before Lee Crane's eyes flung open.