The Sloop John B
Gilligan and the Howells were starting to doze off. As per orders, the engine was off, and the boat was following the current. The Skipper was snoring loudly, while the Professor and Mary Ann were sound asleep in the cabin.
Ginger broke the monotony by saying, "Gilligan, I think I see something."
Gilligan replied, "I don't see anything."
Ginger said, "Maybe I should wake the Skipper."
Gilligan ordered, "No, I'm in charge, and I say the others need their rest."
Mr. Howell, overhearing the exchange fired up the engine, "I say lets take a look."
Gilligan was getting furious, and yelled to Mr. Howell, "Who ordered you to do that?"
1600 ZULUUSS Aaron Burr
Signalman Muhall could not believe what he was seeing from the flying bridge of the submarine Aaron Burr. It almost appeared to be a gorgeous red head in a crow's nest.
"Captain," Muhall hesitantly reported, "I see something unusual at 125 degrees."
"Well what is it?" Captain Nick Holden asked impatiently.
"You'd better see for yourself, sir," Muhall said.
Holden looked through his night vision binoculars, and saw a woman that looked like a movie actress he couldn't recall the name of in a crow's nest of some home build craft. His first thoughts were not of the improbability of what he was seeing, rather the possible threat of the Burr being discovered.
"Periscope depth!" Holden ordered.
The men on the flying bridge immediately went below, and the Aaron Burr went down to a depth safe from prying eyes on a surface craft. Holden raised the periscope.
Before Holden could even take a look, Sonarman Johnson reported, "The contact is back, sir. Definitely a diesel engine."
"No kidding, Petty Officer, we saw it out there. It must have been drifting over to us with its engine off. Prepare a firing solution on the target." Holden instructed.
0205 The Sloop John B
Gilligan was now at the engine compartment, and not happy.
"Listen Mr. Howell, the Skipper put me in charge of this watch, turn off that engine!" Gilligan barked.
Mr. Howell was not very compliant. "Listen boy," he said arrogantly, "we need to go see what Ginger was pointing at."
Howell put the throttle up full, while Gilligan pulled it back. Soon they were playing tug of war with the throttle with Ginger and Mary Ann yelling at them to stop. It wasn't long before they woke the others.
"Gilligan!" The Skipper shouted "What is going…"
Before the Skipper could finish his sentence, the engine broke free and went under the platform in the middle of the boat between the two catamaran hulls. The seven castaways looked in shock when their own engine passed them.
1605 ZULU USS Aaron Burr
"Sir!" Sonarman Johnson reported, "Something's coming straight at us at a high rate of speed!"
Holden's combat experience took over, "Fire torpedo number one!" He commanded.
Fire control didn't question the captain, "Number one away," was the response.
2:06 AM The Sloop John B
"Gilligan, you knucklehead! Now we have no chance of getting rescued!" The Skipper barked, "Why I ought to…."
All of the sudden a loud explosion rocked the small boat, and the engine that was racing ahead of the boat suddenly exploded. The castaways never saw the torpedo, or the sub for that matter.
Gilligan started to apologize, "Sorry Skipper…"
The Skipper, still dumfounded from the events, "Sorry, you probably saved us, Little Buddy. If that engine had exploded on the boat while it was still attached to it…"
"I don't know how that engine exploded." The Professor said, puzzled.
"What do we do now, Skipper?" Mary Ann asked.
"We can forget about sleep for the next couple of days while we sail back to the island. Gilligan and I will need everybody's help to do that. We can't stay out here with the damage done to the boat, there are some leaks, and some of you are going to have to get buckets and bail out the water." The Skipper replied.
1606 ZULU USS Aaron Burr
"Target destroyed, sir, shall we look for survivors?" Johnson reported.
"Negative," ordered Holden, "standing orders are to dive to station depth."
"Diving, aye," replied the helm.
Two Days Later, Back on the Island
The Sloop John B sailed into the lagoon barely afloat. All seven castaways were exhausted from sailing and bailing.
"Home sweet home," Mary Ann said, being chipper.
The Professor walked up to Mr. Howell and said, "As I remember, our agreement was dependent upon the Sloop John B getting us to civilization," He continued while tearing up the document that sold RHC1, "A contract is a contract."
The castaways brought their belongings back to their huts, a little down. Then it was Mrs. Howell who had an idea.
Eunice Wentworth "Lovey" Howell announced, "Lets have a Welcome Back Cotillion."
That brought smiles and laughs from the group.
The Professor replied, "Sounds good to me, as long as Mr. Howell keeps his flask to himself." That got laughs from everyone, except Mr. Howell.