A Mission

He was young, Navy, on loan to the Nelson Institute of Marine Research (NIMR) as a hastily installed, temporary captain of Seaview for a vital, top-secret mission. He was replacing Seaview's former captain recently assassinated to prevent this very mission.

Almost the first thing Nelson did was put him in his place over the way he came aboard. Now he felt completely out of place on this civilian submarine. Nelson was a man to admire and emulate, he had jumped at this chance to serve on Nelson's boat, but he was overawed now and ill at ease in his presence.

In Nelson's cabin he opened his sealed orders for the almost hopeless mission.

They were clear. He was to regard Seaview and her entire crew as expendable.

Shifting nervously in his chair uncomfortable in Nelson's presence Crane thought, I'd like to some back from this.

He brought them back, a bit tattered but alive.*

Sealed orders waited in the Admiral's safe. The tall, dark-haired Captain with such astounding eyes ran up the spiral stairs then strode towards the Admiral's quarters to find out what the mission was. Nelson twirled the dial, opened the safe, pulled out, and slit the flap of the envelope. Inside along with the orders was another envelope. It was slightly bulky, not very but there was more than a sheet of paper inside. Surprisingly the inner envelope was addressed to Commander Lee B. Crane rather than to Admiral Harriman Nelson. Nelson, the reddish brown-haired, father figure to the men of the Seaview, smiled and handed it to Crane, "For you, Lee."

"What is it?"

"Orders I expect, but it's for you."

"I wonder what's up."

"This time you'll have to tell me. Regardless," he indicated the paper in his hand, "my orders tell us to rendezvous with the Salacia to pick up a specialist team of 12 technicians to upgrade our water purification system. That explains all that extra cargo stowed in the missile room before we left Santa Barbara. They will be aboard for 30 hours so we'll need to provide sleeping quarters for them."

"We can convert the main stores for that. What's involved?"

"They are updating the automated purification tanks and changing most fixture fittings to meet the new naval standards."

"I see, so they will need access to the whole boat."

"Yes and while they are working we set course to meet the Thalassa to pass the team on to them when they finish with Seaview. All of this goes on while we are enroute to the new underwater missile complex. Sounds like a bit of a milk run. I hope there is some interesting navigating for you to liven things up. Hmm, the missile complex co-ordinates aren't provided. Ah, you apparently have all the details and such in your orders."

"Let me see," Crane opened the envelope, inside were his orders and another sealed envelope. "I am to be Seaview's delegate at the commissioning ceremonies of the missile complex. Seaview and three ships will be there. Some formalities take place on the aircraft carrier, then the next day a descent to the missile complex itself. For security the rendezvous co-ordinates will be provided enroute, in the meantime we head to meet the Thalassa, but the new missile complex co-ordinates and security details will not be released until we arrive at the rendezvous. These additional sealed orders," Crane flapped the still sealed inner envelope, "I open the first day of the formalities before I report."

Nelson smiled, "Congratulations, Lee. I hope this means I don't have to make an appearance at all and can make some progress on my project for once. I get very bored during those ceremonies and such hoopla."

"Yes, sir. It looks like I am the only one attending from Seaview. I hope you don't really mind?"

"Not at all. Like I said, I've been to more than enough of those types of things. Now if it was a scientific conference that would be different."

As he turned to leave, Lee paused, flicked the sealed envelope in his hand with his index finger and chuckled lightly, "I understand. Sir, I sometimes wonder how a scientist like you became an officer of the line?"

Nelson smiled, "Mm, hmm. Well, that's a story all on its own, perhaps I'll tell you one day."

Crane nodded with a slight smile and headed to his cabin to lock up his still sealed orders.

* Eleven Days to Zero