As Kate paddled her way across the open water, silently cursing his name with each brisk stroke, Nelson stumbled along the narrow outside passageway until he reached the bow. A rumble from below sent him scurrying up the companionway to the bridge and into the deserted wheelhouse. Aware that his time was limited, he flipped every switch on the radio then picked up the mike.

"Admiral Nelson calling SSRN Seaview. Come in Seaview." Getting no answer, he repeated the call.

~oOo~

Aboard Seaview, Sparks did receive the call. Unfortunately, that was all he could do. With communications still precarious at best, the radio was receiving but not sending. Still, he couldn't believe his ears when he heard the unmistakable voice on the other end.

"Skipper!" he yelled excitedly. "I've got Admiral Nelson on the line!"

"What?" Lee raced to the radio shack very nearly bowling Chip over in the process. "Let me speak to him."

"I'm sorry sir but all I can do is receive."

Lee's shoulders dropped noticeably but he quickly squared them again. The admiral WAS alive! "What's he saying?"

"Right now he's just calling."

~oOo~

Although he couldn't physically speak to Seaview, Nelson continued as if he could. He was well aware of the erratic stability of communications and after the electrical barrage that Seaview had been through, he knew the radio might be the first thing affected. Of course, the thought that Seaview might not be out there never entered his mind. Ever the optimist, he persisted.

"Seaview, just in case you can hear me…"

~oOo~

Seeing the concentrated look etched into Sparks' boyish features and unable to control his excited impatience, Lee pressed again. "What's he saying now?"

"He's still on board the Falconer. He set Dr. Manning adrift in a dinghy—he estimates that she's currently about 30 yards off the Falconer's starboard side. He wants us to pick her up, if possible."

"What about him?"

"He was just about to say but the transmission ended. The line's dead."

His sense of urgency now almost uncontrollable, Lee turned quickly to Chip, "How much longer does Kowalski estimate?"

Chip, already anticipating the question, had a ready answer: "Just over an hour."

~oOo~

The first bullet broke the window and hit the radio, just missing the admiral's head by inches. Dropping to the deck with a grunt, two more bullets sent a shower of glass around him. Crawling to the hatch opening, he peered out, scanning the area for the gunman. It was merely a confirming gesture; he knew there was only one person it could be.

Keeping one eye on the bridge hatch, Karl raced across the bow, seeking cover behind Lightning Bolt's platform. Startled by the sight of Carag, Karl rolled the unconscious man toward the bow then with one hard kick, sent the engineer hurtling over the side. Wiping blood from his eye with the back of his hand, he quickly scanned the switches and gauges, turning the most obvious one and grinning with satisfaction when he heard the faint hum.

Lying low on the deck of the bridge and recovering some of his depleted strength, Nelson felt the low, building rumble in the hull seconds before another explosion ripped through the ship's stern sending debris, smoke and flames high into the sky. The ship lurched violently, pitching viciously to the starboard side and flinging Karl into the capstan and leaving him gasping for breath.

Nelson stumbled to his feet and in his haste almost toppled headlong down the companionway, only just managing to catch himself. As he hit the landing, his eyes fell upon something black and shiny on the deck. The pistol he had dropped earlier! Scooping it up and feeling the hairs on his neck suddenly prickle, he hit the deck as a beam of energy fired over his head, sending a flurry of sparks and smoke directly astern. Momentarily dazed, it took several nervous seconds to realize that the last explosion had dislodged Lightning Bolt's transceiver. The device was now randomly targeting the failing ship.

Spurred by a rush of adrenaline, Nelson rolled to his right then scooted clear of the beam and staggered to his feet, stopping cold.

Karl's gun was aimed directly at him and the man's grip was steady.

"Look," Nelson began hastily, "that machine is going to destroy what's left of this ship." As he spoke, an errant beam flashed to his left, while the roar of flames, fueled by the aged, dry wood raced along the port side several feet away.

Startled by the approaching fire, Karl took his eyes off Nelson for a split second. With his shoulder lowered, the admiral plowed into Karl like a halfback driving through a defensive line. Karl fired erratically as he and Nelson became entangled in a flurry of fists and kicks. Feeling the heat of the flames against his leg, Nelson grabbed Karl's arm and repeatedly slammed his hand against the deck with as much force as he could muster until finally the gun dropped, sliding harmlessly across the inclined deck and falling into the water.

Karl forced his knee upward, wedging it between himself and the admiral, then kicked out, knocking Nelson backwards, squarely onto the deck. Pain seemed to scream from every bone but there wasn't time to react. Before Nelson could move, Karl was on him, levering a massive forearm against Nelson's throat while pressing the whole of his weight onto Nelson's body, pinning the admiral's right arm underneath him.

As he fought for breath and consciousness, Nelson became vaguely aware of intense heat pressing closer and the continual hum as Lightning Bolt continued to deliver its pulsing energy. Another explosion rocked the ship but neither Karl nor his iron hold waned.

Nelson, gathering every viable ounce of energy, every last ounce of strength, forced his left arm up, wedging the palm of his hand under Karl's chin, forcing his head back until at last the man broke his hold with a shout of pain.

There was no time to rest. Rolling aside to avoid the approaching flames, then scrambling to his feet to avoid Karl's impending lunge, Nelson watched wearily as the man crashed through the railing and plummeted headfirst into the water below.

The move, while relatively uneventful, nearly dropped the admiral to his knees. His every move became a force of will, a struggle against piercing pain and total exhaustion. Bent over with his hands on his thighs, he watched the red droplets fall onto the deck. Examining the fresh crimson stain on his shirt and feeling the sharp stab in his left side, he realized Karl's erratic shot hadn't been so erratic after all.

Another explosion flattened him against the deck. The boat lurched, buckled as the main bunker ignited and blew. Black smoke billowed upward as the boat began to sink rapidly. Nelson pulled himself up, steadying himself against anything he could find and edged his way to Lightning Bolt's instrumentation panel. Turning one single switch, he shut the contraption off then staggered backward several feet. Stretching out his hand, he grabbed the railing then awkwardly hoisted himself over the side. He let go at the same time one final explosion blew apart the remaining evidence that the Falconer ever existed.

Nelson hit the water backwards, sinking like a stone under the surface.

~oOo~

Kate was still drifting in the dinghy long after the Falconer rolled onto her starboard side and sunk. Standing in the raft and nearly pitching herself into the water, she scanned the distant waters, silently praying for any sign of Harry. If she could trust her eyesight, she was almost positive she had seen him jump into the water. Or was it just wishful thinking? Debris littered the surface, hampering her view to the extent that she quickly kneeled down and began feverishly paddling her way back towards the sight of the wreckage.

She only got a few feet when something caught her eye. Alarmed yet intrigued, she froze in fear as the water to her right churned violently and a bright yellow object floated to the surface. Her fear quickly turned to relief when a few minutes later, a man in scuba gear appeared at the side of the dinghy.

Peeling off the mask, he flashed the most disarming smile she had ever seen. "Dr. Manning, I presume?"

"Yes," she answered, instinctively knowing she could trust this man.

"I'm Lee Crane, captain of the Seaview. Permission to come aboard?" Not waiting for her to reply, he lifted himself easily onto the raft and with Kate's help, removed his air tanks and flippers. "Any sign of Admiral Nelson?" he asked taking the oars and making short work of the distance back to the Flying Sub.

Her eyes dropped as she quickly looked away. "I'm certain he got off the ship before she went down."

Lee felt a stab at the impact of her words and stopped rowing long enough to scan the surface, squinting under the setting sunlight that reflected off the water. "We'll make a thorough search in the Flying Sub before we head back and I'll send a team out to search the area." Purposefully catching her eye, he spoke with clear purpose and conviction, "If he's out there, one way or another, we'll find him."

Seeing the determination in his eyes and sensing a deep loyalty, Kate had no doubt that Captain Lee Crane was a man of his word.

~oOo~

Lee Crane strolled to the admiral's cabin, a spring in his step that had been noticeably absent for the past few days. He knocked lightly, heard the muffled, "come in", and opened the door. Freshly showered, she looked remarkably different than the first time he had seen her. He couldn't recall ever seeing the one-piece blue jumpsuit looking quite so becoming on anyone before. It was obvious she had been crying yet she forced a lopsided smile as he entered.

"Dr. Manning, Doc would like to see you in Sickbay right away."

Kate eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

"I believe he just wants to make sure you're all right."

She let out a deep sigh that bordered on irritation but acquiesced. As they headed towards sickbay, Kate asked the question that, up until now, always managed to catch in her throat. "I don't suppose you've found…" Knowing full well the captain would have immediately informed her, she didn't know why she felt compelled to ask the question. The sun had long set and she knew it was futile to continue the search in the dark.

She could almost swear Captain Crane smiled as he opened the door, letting her pass. Her face brightened at the sight that greeted her.

"We found him in the water not twenty minutes ago," Lee began, doubtful that she heard a word he said as the whole of her attention focused on the bruised, bloodied, very wet and extremely unkempt form of Admiral Harriman Nelson.

~oOo~

Holding an x-ray up to the light, Doc shook his head in disbelief. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are?"

Lying on the examination table, his colorless face a consortium of pain, fatigue and faintly, relief, the admiral's gaze wandered slowly from Lee to Kate. "I do but I think you're going to tell me anyway." He grimaced as the Corpsman expertly inserted the first of two IV lines.

"You're lucky the trajectory of that bullet went out instead of in and all you ended up with are two broken ribs and a little less blood. It could have been much, much worse." Doc set the x-ray down and moved to the admiral's side. "That shoulder is a different story. The bullet nicked the musculocutaneous nerve. That accounts for the tingling in your arm and hand. I'm optimistic the sensation should subside in a couple of months. When we get back to Santa Barbara, you're looking at surgery. You've got some tendon and ligament damage that'll need to be repaired. As it is, you're going to be awfully sore for the next six weeks but I really don't have a reason to keep you here longer than a couple of nights if you promise," Doc briefly locked eyes with Kate, "to take it easy. Between those ribs and that shoulder, I don't think you're going to feel like doing much for at least a week but I know your penchant for pushing yourself."

With Kate present, the admiral seemed a little more amenable than usual. Sensing the effect she seemed to be having, Doc decided it was safe to assert his authority, something that would never fly ordinarily. "Remember," he cautioned, "if you go jostling yourself around and cause further injury to those ribs, you could find yourself right back in here with a punctured lung." Doc took a step back and waited for the expected protest.

The admiral nodded his understanding. He was dead tired, in more pain than he would admit and not really in the mood to argue. "Whatever you say," was his only response.

Shooting disbelieving glances from the admiral to Dr. Manning to the captain, Doc crossed his arms smugly. Had he been a peacock, Kate was convinced he would have strutted his plumage around the room.

Waiting until the corpsman finished with the final dressing, a grinning Lee Crane moved closer to the bed. "What you won't do to get out of a budget meeting…"

Nelson started to laugh, catching himself when he realized the amount of pain the simple gesture caused.

"Doc's right, you know," Lee continued. "You're very lucky. But then, we've always known that."

"Yes," Kate interjected, her hand reaching for his. "It's that Irish luck of his. Harry wasn't born, you know. He was found under a four-leaf clover."

"How's Seaview?" the admiral asked drowsily. The morphine was starting to take effect and slowly the pain was beginning to subside.

"A little worse for wear but otherwise okay." Lee downplayed the extent of the damage. Right now, he didn't want to burden the man with the long list of problems especially when he doubted the admiral would be awake to hear them.

"Fine," he responded with a weak nod. Finding it nearly impossible to keep his eyes open, he drifted off to sleep, his fingers still entwined with Kate's.

~oOo~

"Admiral, I thought Doc said two days? I'm surprised he let you out of Sickbay so soon."

"Good behavior," Nelson replied dryly, immediately noticing his captain's doubtful smirk. "All right, it wasn't good behavior. He released me into Kate's care." He put down the report he was attempting to read and frowned at Kate. "I'm not sure Sickbay isn't a more viable option."

Lee stifled a laugh but still caught Kate's raised eyebrow. The admiral was not one to welcome being fussed over.

"What's our course, Lee?" The admiral, his left arm encumbered by the collar and cuff Doc insisted he wear, was sitting in the Observation Nose with Kate at his side.

"Pearl, admiral. We've got at least a week's worth of repairs to make. I've radioed Professor Byers at the Cetacean Lab and told him of our delay. Chip is taking the Flying Sub to deliver the more urgent supplies."

Nelson crossed his legs, noticeably grimacing as the small movement caused a rush of pain.

Kate put her hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy, Harry. You heard what Doc said. It's going to take a while for those ribs to heal. Overdo it and you're going right back to Sickbay."

The admiral waved her off, impatiently. "I know, I know."

Lee smiled. She certainly wasn't afraid to give the admiral orders. And what was even more incredible, the man seemed to have the patience to put up with it.

Until he met Kate Manning, Lee Crane would have argued that he knew Harriman Nelson better than anyone else but now he realized he had so much more to learn about the admiral. In the last 24 hours, Lee had come to see the admiral as she saw him: not as the head of the Nelson Institute or as the architect of Seaview or as a commanding officer or as a scientist but merely as a man-a man as normal as he himself was.

Still in contemplative thought, Lee asked a question that had bothered him since hearing the admiral recount the entire adventure. "There's one thing that has me puzzled. Why wouldn't you want Lightning Bolt salvaged? As I understand it, that's the only prototype and all the blueprints were destroyed. I would think somehow the concept could be put to good use."

Nelson struggled out of the chair, allowing Kate to help him. "Lee, Lightning Bolt and the blueprints weren't entirely destroyed." He winked at Kate who flashed a knowing smile in return. "Two people know where it is," she took him gently by the elbow and guided him to the hatch, "and we aren't saying." The two left the observation nose, leaving behind a puzzled Lee Crane.