New Paths to Follow
Chapter 28th
Commander Lee Crane had been watching all of the movements of the Crystallines being moved into the three trucks. while heading for the local airport for where the Institute's plane was waiting to fly them back to Santa Barbara, California.
Commander Venison wasn't liking the idea that the Institute had been taking away their subjects with freeing them from the experiments. Hanger 18th was in deep trouble when it comes to the funds to keep it going throughout the fiscal year.
If they didn't get the funds. There was going to be a great many of the personnel out of work. It was all up to the President, Senate, and most of all the Congress to pass the funds for the government program.
The last of the Crystallines was helped into the truck. While Commander Lee Crane gave the order to move out. Even though he wasn't expecting any trouble from the front gate.
Taking some time to reach the front gate. The security guards let them leave the installation to head for the airport. While everyone was taking a deep breath to relax while the drivers were moving along the desert road.
SEAVIEW
Captain Chip Morton had been reading all of his messages sitting in the office of his quarters. He was beginning to wonder whether taking the position as Captain of the SEAVIEW was well worth it after being under the helm of his friend Captain Lee Crane.
Even his own wife Connie after 30 years plus years of marriage was well worth it. She wasn't sure it was a good idea when Admiral Nelson had come to their house to talk about it with Lee to take over the private business of the Nelson Institute.
The meeting didn't last all that long. Even though she had made sandwiches for him and her husband Chip sitting outside in the backyard of their house.
When Nelson had left. She had come out to check on her husband sitting signing paperwork to change the captaincy of the Seaview to Captain Charles Morton. She wasn't really thrilled at the idea, even though her husband was sick and tire of the nonsense caused by Lee Crane with every command he had given.
Looking at all of the messages. One was from the reactor room telling him that all power was running smoothly and poises no trouble with getting to ICELAND. No one else was going to be involved with getting to the Crystallines trapped under the ice basin. Even though there were two cutters from the government military keeping any other vessels away from the region until the Seaview arrives.
Singing the message telling him that he had read it as per his own requests. Looking at the time on his watch. Since he had finished up with his watch. He needed to change out of his uniform to be ready for bed. But first, he needed to call the Control room to speak with Commander Stanley Kowalski on whether there were no issues.
"This is Commander Kowalski sir. Everything is working well at the moment with nothing going on with the radar and sonar systems. We are running at flank speed with Chief Petty Officer Sharkey tells me that all is well, as with all departments. Security officers for the evening have been placed right now and will be calling in within the hour with their reports." he said calling from the plotting table while watching his brother Kowalski standing up at the radar station talking to his friend Patterson next to him.
"Great Commander. I will be asleep. Call me if there are any issues that might arise during the night?" he said with a slight yawn needing to lay down with his back bothering slightly.
Morton laid down in his bunk feeling slightly off for the moment not knowing what to expect.
Colonel James Baskins and his Marines had been working the different departments onboard the Seaview. he had decided to take a stroll as he had done with the last cruise. Even though feeling the quietness of the corridors. He was heading for the reactor room sector. When he saw someone running in the opposite end with some type of items in his hands.
Not taking any chances this time. He called for help with the Master of Arms getting involved and advising the Control room of the situation to have the general quarters alert go off this time throughout the entire submarine and waking everyone.
Colonel Baskins had given his location and where the suspect had gone into engineering. Sergeant Anders a member of the Alliance as part of the agreement met up with the Colonel asking where and what was in his hands.
"It could be anything Sergeant Anders especially if it's a bomb? I suggest you send some of your men to the reactor room to make sure it stays secured since Chief Sharkey and his men are supposed to be working inside?" Baskins said to them.
Meanwhile, Captain Charles Morton moving quick wanted to know just what the hell is going on wearing his pajamas, robe, and slippers still on his body.
Colonel Robert Baskins needed to explain the situation as Morton agreed he had done the right thing. Then all of a sudden there was an explosion coming from the engineering room for where the suspect had run into. They were thrown across the bulkhead hurting his back slightly for Morton and Baskins with his head slightly with a possible concussion.
All major bulkheads in the area had closed in order to stop the flow of flowing. Even though at the moment they had no idea just how many of the crew were working this evening. Security arrived asking whether the Captain and the colonel needed medical assistance and they will go to sickbay once they knew the situation with the loss of life, damage, and why this was happening in the first place.