Chapter Three
Seaview's approach was slow and deliberate, with Lee intending to keep the upper hand by knowing what the sea held hidden in her vast, dark waters, at least as far their equipment could monitor, that is; and were nearly ten miles into the fifty-mile radius of their destination.
"Biologic straight ahead," Ski reported from sonar.
Lee turned toward Seaview's window, straining to see past the floodlights on Seaview's bow.
"I've got it!" Riley declared. "Some sort of crazy-big fish," he added in his colorful surfer vernacular.
"A Pacific Bonito," Harry identified as the officers gathered around the window.
"The bonito only grows three to four feet long," Chip observed incredulously, "that one has to be, at least, twenty feet."
"Yes, but note the conical head, and the dark stripes along its back and sides. There can be no doubt about it, it's a bonito," Harry assured.
"It's starting to look like your hypothesis about Dr. Sterling's Fissure being the source may be true," Lee noted as the pelagic fish swam past and out of their view. "But something's still bothering me…"
"Why the quake sensors didn't alert us of activity strong enough to rupture the fissure," Harry finished for him.
"Yeah," Lee answered quietly, concentrating on their limited view.
"I've got another one; 300 yards, one-eight degrees relative," Ski interjected.
"Dead slow," Lee ordered over his shoulder.
Everyone strained to catch a glimpse of the large sea creature off the starboard bow, but it was out of visual range for the naked eye.
"Chip, ETA to the first sensor?" the captain asked, the inquiry sending the Exec back to the chart table, where he quickly ascertained their position.
"Ten miles on our present course; ETA fifty-five minutes at present speed."
"Very well," Lee replied, fully resigned to the fact that they weren't getting anywhere fast by traveling at dead-slow; it was simply a necessity given the large sea creatures and their ability to move at astonishing speeds. The bonito, alone, was capable of forty miles per hour in its natural state and no-one knew at this point, how the growth mutation would affect its speed; but it was reasonable to assume there would be a significant increase.
"We need to find a way to tag some of these creatures," Harry lamented.
"Admiral, we need to deal with the fissure first and then there's the squid…" Lee reminded him.
Harry waived a dismissive hand, "Of course, but once the source of the mutation has been eliminated, we could tag some of these creatures as we search for the squid," he argued, never once doubting their ability to handle the situation and typically thinking ahead to the next steps necessary to their mission.
"I can't allow divers in this area, Admiral, you saw what happened to Sterling," he rebutted incredulously.
"We'll collect sample waters and establish safety parameters, and I'll modify a delivery device so that the creatures can be tagged from a safe distance," he assured, the twinkle in his eye unmistakable to those who knew him.
Lee nodded in tentative agreement; though his first priority was determining if the fissure was still open, the second was as equally important - to find the mutant squid before it killed again. Nevertheless, he was also acutely aware that Nelson's desire to understand the phenomenon was vital in order to prevent any future tragedy. It was true that Harry's enthusiasm for exploration and scientific discovery had, at times, pushed Seaview and her crew to the limits, but the admiral wasn't reckless or irresponsible… just curious, in the best possible way. Therefore, it was his job as captain to maintain proper safety parameters. Sometimes, that meant asserting his responsibility as master and commander of the vessel to deny Seaview's creator when his scientific curiosity overshadowed the safety factor. But there wasn't anyone he respected more, and Harriman Nelson had earned his trust, and indeed, the right, to push the envelope of the only windowed submarine in the world; a submarine that he envisioned and pursued when the naysayers of the world said it couldn't be done.
"Let's start with the water samples, and we'll go from there," Lee decided to Harry's satisfying tight-lipped smile. "Chip, assign a detail to take care of whatever the Admiral needs."
"Aye Sir," Morton acknowledged before stepping away and calling to Sharkey at the status board.
"Aye Sir," Sharkey answered, crossing the deck quickly to report.
"Large contact, two degrees off the starboard bow; two hundred yards and closing," Kowalski interrupted from his station.
"Hydrophones?" Lee inquired on his way to sonar.
Patterson held a hand to one ear analyzing any sound the contact might make, before answering, "A biologic, Sir."
"Bow look-out?" Seaview's captain queried over his shoulder.
"Nothing yet," Chip reported from the sub's window alongside the look-out detail.
"There, sir," Riley chimed in, "that shadow," he pointed out.
"Put it on the monitor," Harry ordered from behind Ski's chair.
Patterson switched on the large monitor just as a large fish swam from the shadows into the illumination of Seaview's bow floodlights.
"A jack mackerel," the admiral identified. "I estimate about ten feet long, more than three times its maximum natural size."
Lee pursed his lips in a natural move he did often when in deep thought. "Then it's looking more and more likely that the fissure is open," he surmised out loud.
"Well, it certainly supports our hypothesis," Harry agreed. "Of course, we'll need the water samples and a direct observation at the fissure site to know for sure," he added as the large, light blue fish swam lazily past the monitor on its way to his next meal.
"Very well, let's get to it," Lee said with a nod toward Sharkey. "Take care of whatever the Admiral needs," he ordered to a sharp, "Aye, aye, Skipper," before the Chief trailing on Nelson's heels, followed out the aft hatch.
Lee lingered over the sonar station a moment longer, tracking another large contact just registering twenty-five miles out, too far out for a visual yet, then offered an affirming pat to Ski's shoulder in an unspoken "Carry on" and headed to the Radio Shack.
"Any readings from the seismic sensors, Sparks?" he asked upon arrival.
"Negative Sir, not a one," he said somewhat perplexed. "I sent out the test signals, but the sensors aren't responding with any signal at all. I'm not even getting a reading on their power status. It just doesn't seem likely that every single sensor would malfunction in exactly the same way, Sir," he added, venting both his frustration and his concern at the same time.
"No, it doesn't," Lee agreed. "Keep trying," he said and then headed forward.
"Chip, Sparks is getting absolutely no readings from any of the seismic sensors," he informed.
Morton's forehead tightened in obvious concern. "I don't like the sound of that."
"Me either."
"What do you make of it?" Chip asked; their conversation kept low at the chart table.
"I don't know. I suppose it's possible for the sensors to have all malfunctioned due to a manufacturing error..."
"But you're not buying it?" Chip interrupted; their conversation in brainstorming mode.
"No," he said with a slight shake of his head, before making a decision. "Have the Flying Sub prepped for launch, ASAP. I'm going to scout ahead before I commit this submarine to more unknowns than I'm willing to deal with right now."
"Aye Sir, do you want Kowalski to co-pilot?"
"No, I want him on sonar. I'll take Riley," he said with a nod toward the blue-clad seaman currently manning the look-out.
"Aye, aye, Skipper."
Lee reached for the mic, clicking it to clear the line before speaking. "Admiral, this is Crane."
"Nelson here."
"Admiral, Sparks still hasn't been able to reestablish contact with any of the sensors. I'm taking FS1 out to scout ahead."
There was a slight delay and then Harry's response. "Very well, but be careful, Lee. If my hunch is correct, you'll be running into more abnormally large sea creatures out there."
"Aye Sir," Lee answered and shipped the mic. Sharing this part of the ocean with a man-eating squid was cause enough for concern, but the added mystery of the silent sensors had added another layer of intrigue that was making him very uncomfortable. Perhaps, it was too many years as an ONI Operative, but his sixth sense was telling him that just maybe, there was more to the fissure being open than an earthquake that had never registered on sensors, that had all stopped working at once. Whatever the cause, he wanted answers before Seaview proceeded.
"All stop, Mr. Morton," he ordered and then headed to the bow, where the steward had already retrieved his flight jacket. Riley's replacement arrived, and the young blond had already donned his leather jacket over his blue jumpsuit. "Ready to do a little exploring?" Lee asked, appreciating the expectation of adventure the young seaman exuded without shame.
"Aye, aye, Skip," the surfer-turned-submariner quipped, his excitement both exuberant and palpable.
Lee suppressed a smile at Riley's acknowledgement, stepping down the first rung into the deck hatch and exchanging a quick glance with Chip, who was less impressed with Stu Riley's shipboard decorum, and made it known with a small scowl of disapproval. The Exec's scowl was missed on the eager seaman, but only caused the Captain's smile to widen as he lowered himself into the flying sub. It was a much-needed moment of levity that faded as soon as he settled into the left seat and began flipping on switches.
# # # # #
Harry issued his last-minute instructions to Sharkey's detail in the Missile Room. Sensors built into Seaview's hull registered salinity and temperature and were readily available in the Control Room; however, further studies of the water's properties required actual water samples. A special collection tool would be lowered down the diving bell's well to achieve the samples required. A schedule and system for collection had been arranged and his lab would soon be inundated with a steady stream of samples, ferried diligently by Seaview's COB; that he could count on. But he had a few moments to spare, and he intended on using that time to check on Lee.
As he stepped over the missile room's water-tight door hatch, he felt the shudder of FS1's bay doors closing, a reminder that Lee had left the relative safety of Seaview. It was a private concern not mirrored in his determined facial expression. Despite his enthusiasm for discovery, he was well aware of the dangers these waters presented should his hypothesis prove true concerning the fissure, and he hadn't lost track of the potential danger to the flying sub and her occupants. Indeed, even Seaview herself was vulnerable to the massive size of the giant squid. He only hoped that they were only dealing with one such creature.
# # # # #
Harry entered the Control Room, listening and taking in the normal sounds of operation as he moved forward. He couldn't help an inward smile when he heard Lee's voice over the comm system.
"We're three miles from the fissure," he reported, "still no readings from the sensor," he added just as Harry arrived at the chart table.
"Very well," Chip responded, before clicking off the mic to bring the admiral up to speed. "The captain's attempting to recover one of the sensors."
"Which one?" Harry asked, looking down at the map marked with the sensors they had placed to monitor the fissure.
"Number 8."
Harry nodded, noting the position. "What about further evidence of abnormal growth?"
Chip expelled a barely discernable breath as he nodded in affirmation. "That's an affirmative, Sir."
"Chip, we've found the sensor. Riley is attempting retrieval with the robotic arms."
Harry pursed his lips. It was a tricky procedure and he almost wished he hadn't tagged Sharkey for the collection detail, since the Chief had proven his skill in maneuvering the device in the past. Riley, however, was a skilled seaman and pilot and he was confident the young man was up to the task.
A few tense moments passed as they listened to the conversation aboard FS1, while Riley worked to release the anchor from the seabed and then manually grab the sensor without damaging the instrument.
"Good job, Riley," the Captain complimented, "now ease it in slowly."
Harry pursed his lips, unconsciously reacting to the young man's efforts. It was a long two minutes before he heard Lee report back to Seaview.
"Seaview, we have the sensor on board and secure; proceeding on to the fissure."
Harry released a small, satisfied smile and reached for the mic.
"Good job, Lee."
"Thanks, Admiral. ETA to fissure… nine minutes."
Harry nodded to himself, calculating in his head the remaining three miles at a slow, steady pace of ten knots, far slower than FS1's top speed, but necessary for the potential unknown dangers ahead. A few minutes passed, and he briefly considered heading to the lab where the first water samples would surely be waiting for him, but the question of whether the fissure was open piqued his curiosity.
"We're filming now, Seaview," Lee informed.
Chip followed Harry to the monitor in the nose and switched it on where they followed FS1's progress as it slowly approached Dr. Sterling's fissure, an opening that reached directly to the earth's core.
"There it is… Admiral, are you getting this?"
Harry strained to make out the live feed when he spotted the fissure opening and raised the mic to answer. His acknowledgement, however, was interrupted by Lee's concerned observation.
"What is that? Admiral…!"
The urgency of Lee's report was cut-off mid-sentence and replaced with static as the monitor suddenly went black. The apprehensive admiral immediately reached for the mic. "Captain Crane, report… Lee! What's happening?" he inquired insistently.
Chip headed directly to the Radio Shack while the Admiral continued to hail the flying sub.
"Seaview to FS1; come in, FS1."
He repeated the hail several more times before Chip returned.
"Sparks says communications are open, but he's getting some sort of electrical disruption."
"Mr. Morton! FS1 is going down!" Kowalski reported prompting Chip and the Admiral's quick double-step to the sonar station. "She's on the bottom," he added just as they arrived.
"Controlled landing?" Harry inquired, scanning the green sonar screen for himself even as he asked the question.
Ski took a deep breath. "Negative, Sir, it was a hard landing," the sonar operator answered solemnly.
Harry reached for the mic on the periscope island behind and clicked. "Seaview to FS1, come in, FS1. Lee, answer me!" He exchanged a worrisome glance with Chip when all they heard was the scratchy sound of static.