Grave Situation

It was meticulously planned, stealing Seaview right from her berth at the dock. Thought out precisely, every detail taken into account. There were diversions, skilled commanders, fearless henchmen and a financial backer. No expense was spared to ensure success. They took Seaview right from under their noses, while they were aboard her, all for the love of a lady.*

It had been an uneventful cruise so far. Work on the water purification system was just moments from being completed. However, unbeknownst to the crew of Seaview while the visiting team roamed all over the boat they had taken small arms from the lockers and welded the doors of the arms lockers and armouries.

As Seaview got close to Thalassa, Crane was still waiting for the co-ordinates and other details for the rendezvous for the commissioning.

Sparks came forward from the radio shack and handed Crane a slip of paper. "In your personal code, sir."

"Thank you, Sparks."

It would be the co-ordinates for the rendezvous, he thought. He would go to his cabin now to decode this then start work on plotting the course. As he went by the plot table he stopped to confer with Nelson and Chip. They briefly reviewed the course to the Thalassa. In four hours they would be ready to hand off the water purification team. He directed Chip to make arrangements for transferring the team. Chip moved to the mike to start giving the orders. Crane had work to do now decoding the message and then plotting the new course, ready to go as soon as the purification team disembarked. He let Nelson know he had the coded message and turned to head up the spiral stairs to his cabin to decode it.

That's when the mission stopped going smoothly.

A shot rang out. Three armed purification men clattered down the spiral stairs into the Nose. Simultaneously three more purification men entered the control room from the aft hatch. They hauled Sparks away from his seat and secured his hands. They controlled the radio shack.

Gesturing with the gun, the leader, Foley, prompted Nelson to walk aft through the control room. Crane and Morton exchanged a quick glance and both moved to disarm the hijackers nearest them. Before they could do more than start their move the sound of a gunshot stopped them in their tracks. Foley lowered his gun as Paulson sagged then slid to the floor. "Gentlemen, officers, no more resistance please, each time you resist, I won't shoot you, I'll shoot one of your crew. No one move unless I tell you to." The crew eyed the hijackers apprehensively.

One of the hijackers, Messer, picked out Crane and shoved him forcefully against a control panel, pushing him backward over it, then landed a punch to his midriff. Crane grunted and twisted away.

In instinctively raising his hand in aid toward the Skipper, Nelson betrayed his vulnerability.

"Ah ha," gloated Foley. "I've heard you view your Captain as a brother. Perhaps it is true. Very good."

Treating Nelson with some slight deference Foley escorted him out of the control room. The two other hijackers, however, treated Crane roughly, as he was forced to follow after them.

As the Captain was impelled toward the aft hatch he called, "Mr. Morton, get Paulson to sick bay as soon as you can." The comment earned him a kidney punch from the hijacker behind him causing a slight delay at the aft hatch as Crane stumbled.

The remaining hijackers stayed in the control room to direct the crew. As they walked down the passageway Crane was shoved forcefully against a bulkhead bashing his forehead on a fire extinguisher. Foley remonstrated with his man, "No, no, nothing to his head ever."

The Admiral's apprehension grew, the comment filling him with ominous dread. They had made it clear they had singled Crane out for their special attentions.

* The Buccaneer