Chapter 4 cast adrift
"Lieutenant Shore, sit down at your post." Shore ordered sharply. Atlanta jumped.
"Sir, I was just cross checking the coordinate readings on the depth scanner." she said doing as she was told.
"Yeah and you've done four times already in as many minutes! Not to mention your radar, sonar powerplat relay and system operation checks. You're up and down like a yo-yo." the commander complained. Atlanta cringed, realising her commander was right. She had indeed been going over her routine repeatedly.
"I know what you're doing. It's your equivalent of pacing." her father continued. "What's worse you are out pacing up and down me! And I'm the one who's got the call to HQ regarding those missing ships to deal with in an hour."
"Well, my apologies father. Don't pace too much or you'll make yourself dizzy." Atlanta shot back. Across the other side of the desk at the radio, Fisher snorted. Atlanta had forgotten he was there or else she wouldn't sass her commanding officer so publicly. Unfortunately for John the snort had been a tad too loud.
"FISHER!" Commander Shore thundered, swinging his chair sharpish and bearing down on the guy. John nearly fell off his seat, he jolted upright so hard.
"Sorry Sir I j-!"
"Go on a break!" The Commander barked, in a dressing down tone. "That's an order. And a full one for a change. Get out of my sight. Hop to it!"
"Sir?"
"I said move! Get some fresh air while you're at it! You look as green as one of Titan's goons and I'm sick of looking at you."
"Y-Yes Sir!"
and a very confused and still hung over Fisher left.
"Sir-! Father, don't be mean to Fisher!" Atlanta scolded.
"Any aquanaut that young who gets that tipsy and hung over the watered down shandies provided last night deserves every wake up call he gets the day after! And I noticed no one else got breakfast made for them." Shore scoffed. And swivelled back to face his daughter, his tone a lot more gentle.
"Alright Atlanta honey, spill. What goes on?"
Atlanta goggledat him. "...you did all that rather than just ask me how I am in front of someone at work?"
"You know I can't show favouritism." The commander shrugged. "Besides Fisher looked like he was half asleep. what's the matter with you?"
"Nothing, father." Atlanta sighed, perching on the desk.
"A funny looking nothing." Shore asked bluntly. "You seem real distracted. And I'm saying that as your old man too, not just your Commander. "
Atlanta rolled her eyes. Annoyingly it was true.
"Come to think of it, you were in good spirits this morning as when we left home. now since tidying up from last night you're worried about something." the Comander said, knowinlly. "what happened? Did one of them idiots open their mouths without thinking again?"
"They're not idiots. Don't call them that!" Atlanta replied. "and Marina can't speak anyway."
"I wasn't counting Marina as an idiot. You know, she was the only member of the Stingray crew not to get hustled out of fifty bucks over a game of pool last night?" Sam scoffed. "best duo this towns got plus one being Aquanaut of the year; yet can't even beat the Mackrell brothers at snooker!"
"It's still mighty rude to call Troy and Phones that." Atlanta scowled crossing her arms. And wishing she hadn't brought up Marina. That …that scar…
"No, they did not say anything." She continued stubbornly. "Everything's fine I don't know what you're complaining about."
"Eh alright have it your way. And quit sitting on that desk. I dunno how many times i have to tell you lieutenants about it being equipment not a school table." The commander said seeing as he wasn't going to get anywhere. He resumed his own pacing but paused and patted Atlanta on the arm as came past.
"Look once Fisher comes back from his break take one yourself. It's a routine patrol." Shore continued. "coastal. Way off titian's pitch. Don't worry so much. Tempest will be alright, he can fend for himself. I need however need my control team to get thier heads in the game so I don't have to worry the towers gonna collapse while I'm away dealing with the higher ups!"
"Yes sir." Atlanta said quietly. And went back to her seat.
She couldn't tell him it wasn't Troy she was thinking of, for a change. Atlanta didn't keep secrets from her dad. Hadn't needed to since her teens. But she couldn't tell him it was Marina that was troubling her. Or more something about Marina. Atlanta wasn't supposed to have found about it anyway. But she could see that - that mark clear as day in front of her. And Marina's horror of it being exposed.
Atlanta had been trying not to think about it. And now it was again all she could think about.
It's almost funny how she gets the almost exact same question later from Captain Troy Tempest…
