Chapter 7

IN SEARCH OF THE TRUTH

PHONES and Fisher would have probably been thrown right out of their seats if not for the safety-belts by the violent force that shook Stingray following the impact of the Terror Fish's missile. The super-sub was now dropping like a stone towards the seabed, a long plume of bubbles rising from the starboard side of the nose where it had been struck.

"We're going down, Phones!" Fisher cried.

"Try and keep her level!" Phones barked back. "Then we might have a chance."

Battling with all their strength, they tried everything they had to keep Stingray on an even keel as they continued to sink down. They struck an underwater rock before coming to rest, nose-pointing down onto the ocean floor whilst the Terror Fish sailed triumphantly past.

From his position in the control room at the Uranium Plant, Titan couldn't believe his luck. He was roaring with excited and evil laughter at the sight he'd just seen on the monitor screen. "It worked! IT'S WORKED!" he said almost jumping for joy. "STINGRAY HAS BEEN BEATEN BY ONE OF MY MECHANICAL FISH! AT LAST! VICTORY IS MINE!" He continued laughing whilst X-2-0 began to join in whilst the Aquaphibians present just exchanged bewildered looks.

Inside the Terror Fish, its crew almost shared the joy that Titan had. "We've actually done it!" one of them said. "We have been able to take Stingray out!"

"The mighty Titan will reward us for this," said the other. "Let us go back and take a closer look at our victim."

The Terror Fish began to turn around and slow down to face where Stingray lay, crippled and stuck on the seabed.

Phones and Fisher were unhurt by the impact and were busy checking the systems to see how bad the situation was. "How bad is the flooding?" Phones asked.

Fisher checked. "Actually it's not too bad, Phones," he replied. "Watertight doors are closed. The flooding is being contained to the forward section. What about the motors?"

"Motors are intact," said Phones. "They're still showing to be operational. I'm just not sure what state the stabilisers, hull and prop are looking at without going outside to check." It was then that he noticed something. "Uh-oh."

"What is it?"

"Our friend is coming back," said Phones.

Fisher looked out and realised Phones was referring to the Terror Fish which was slowly descending towards them. "Oh, great…looks like we've had it, Phones."

Phones narrowed his eyes and looked closely at the approaching vessel. "Maybe not…" he said. "Is it only the starboard side of the nose that's damaged?"

"Looks that way," said Fisher.

"Then we have only one chance," said Phones. "Prepare Port-side Sting Missile and get ready to blow the tanks when I tell you."

Fisher wasn't sure how this was going to go down, but it was better than sitting and awaiting their fate.

"Now!" ordered Phones. "Blow One!"

One of the ballast tanks was activated, blowing air into it and causing Stingray's nose to rise upwards off the seabed.

"They're trying to surface, Mighty Titan," said X-2-0.

"I can see that," Titan replied. "But it'll do them no good, just watch and see."

The Terror Fish crew were also a little surprised by Stingray's sudden movement. "There's still some life left in them," said one of them.

"Not for long," said the other. "Prepare missiles for second attack." It flicked a switch on the control console and the Terror Fish's mouth began to open. However, they would not get their chance to do anything else.

"FIRE!" bellowed Phones and threw one of the levers between him and Fisher.

A single Sting Missile shot out from Stingray's Port-side Torpedo Tube and rapidly closed in on the approaching Terror Fish.

The horrified Aquaphibians had no time to do anything except throw their arms up and scream "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" before the Sting Missile struck them. The resulting explosion blew the Terror Fish to smithereens, which to Phones was a lot more powerful and deadly than usual. The shockwave actually hit Stingray and almost threw it upside-down, but Phones and Fisher were able to correct it and Phones pushed the motors to full power. Stingray zoomed away, leaving what little wreckage remained of the Terror Fish to sink to the ocean floor in its place.

"We have to surface to check the damage," said Phones. "Blow Three, Five and Seven."

"Blowing Three, Five and Seven," Fisher repeated as he carried out the instruction.

The destruction of the Terror Fish meant that the camera was also destroyed and the image on the screen was gone.

"NO!" shouted Titan. "IMPOSSIBLE! WE HAD THEM!" He then rounded on his Surface Agent. "YOU SAID TROY TEMPEST WOULDN'T BE ON BOARD!"

"T-Troy Tempest w-w-wasn't on board, Your Excellency," stammered X-2-0. "Only Lieutenant F-Fisher and P-Phones were aboard. They sh-should have been helpless."

"GAH!" said Titan. He stormed around the room for a bit, cursing under his breath. But then he stopped and fell silent. "This is a mere temporary setback," he said. "Stingray got lucky. That Mechanical Fish proved that this atomic power makes it faster than Stingray is. Next time we shall send a fleet of them…and even if Tempest is aboard, we shall see how long they last then." He gave a sly smile.

Stingray had made it to the surface. Fisher examined the exterior above the water for signs of damage whilst Phones put on his swim-gear and checked underneath the vessel. The results were mixed to say the least.

"Stabilisers are a bit twisted and there's some scraping to the underbelly, but there are no breaches," Phones said. "The watertight doors are holding well."

"No significant damage up here either," said Fisher. "Except…for that."

Both men looked at the Starboard-side of the nose where the Terror Fish's missile had struck. The metal was badly twisted and ripped.

"That's where they got us before," Phones said with a bitter tone in his voice. "But that was much less than what we have here."

"What do we do?" asked Fisher.

"Only one thing to do," said Phones. "We return to Marineville."

"Troy's not gonna like this," said Fisher.

"Don't remind me," Phones groaned.

Troy wasn't enjoying being in command of Marineville. He wasn't sure what was worse, the overall responsibility of being in charge of a huge complex, or not being out in charge of Stingray. He had so much on his mind that he found himself getting a headache. In addition to not being out on Stingray, his thoughts kept going back to Commander Show and how he was getting on at the inquiry.

Atlanta too was deep with worry. Mostly about her father but seeing the stress Troy was under didn't make her feel any better either. "I know Father is innocent, Troy, but Marshal Ketov is a very important man. I just hope that doesn't sway the council's decision."

"I know, Atlanta," Troy replied. "But you ought to relax, Honey. Important or not, the charges against the Commander will not stick."

"Stingray calling Marineville. Stingray calling Marineville. Come in, please."

Troy couldn't grab the radio microphone quick enough. "Go ahead, Phones. How's the tanker?"

"Sorry, Troy, we have a problem," Phones said. "We encountered a Terror Fish and something was off this time."

"What are you talking about, Phones?" asked Troy.

"We're on our way back to Marineville now, Troy," said Phones. "Just prepare yourself. You're not gonna like what you see."

Troy was silent. He looked at Atlanta and Marina who were looking just as concerned and confused as he was. "Okay, Phones. See you…er…soon?"

Inside the World Security Headquarters in Washington, Commander Shore found himself in a room where the Court of Inquiry was being held. For the past thirty minutes since it had begun, he had been unable to say a word due to Marshal Ketov constantly talking saying how disappointed he was in the World Aquanaut Security Patrol in allowing himself to be taken captive by Titan in the first place and that the Commander was an incompetent fool who needed to be removed from his command.

"I maintain, gentlemen," Marshal Ketov concluded, "that Commander Shore's patrol ships should have detected Terror Fish activity in the area and could have informed the B-4 Bathyscaphe to steer clear of them."

"I agree," said one of the men on the inquiry board who was acting as the Marshal's council. "This was no deep plot, gentlemen. It was a simple attack that never should have happened."

Admiral Kincaid was leading the inquiry. Unlike some of the other members in the room, he did not seem to share the Marshal's views on the matter. "I see where you are coming from, Marshal," he said. "I agree that this situation could easily have been avoided. However, if Titan was planning a definite offensive, would you not agree that it would have been beyond Commander Shore's control to know this?"

"Of course!" said Marshal Ketov. "Titan's war scheme would have been cunning and beyond the notice of normal patrols. However, this was not the case. The craft I was travelling in was deliberately attacked and I was taken prisoner. Therefore Shore has committed gross negligence!"

There were murmurs amongst the Board. Commander Shore did nothing but grit his teeth. He had been waiting for the chance to share his side of the story, but the Marshal did not seem remotely interested in letting him do so.

At that moment, Shore's Council tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear. "It's looking bad, sir. They've got you on a technical point. Unless we can prove Titan was planning something when he grabbed the Bathyscaphe, I think the court will go along with the Marshal."

Shore snarled. "And how the hell can I prove anything whilst I'm stuck here in Washington?" he answered with a grimace.

Troy was in disbelief when he saw the damage to Stingray for himself. He removed his hat and scratched his head, somewhat unsure what to make of it.

"I'm sorry, Troy," apologised Phones. "I feel we let you down."

"It's sure a mess, Phones," replied Troy. "Stingray will be out of action for at least a week. Boy, have we got a problem on our hands!" He then turned to Phones and Fisher. "Don't beat yourselves up, guys. This isn't your fault. After all, Stingray got hit once before under my command."

This made Fisher feel slightly better. "Could I be excused, Captain?" he asked. "I feel I need to go and freshen up after that ordeal."

"But of course, Lieutenant," said Troy. "Go right ahead. I'll check in on you later."

Fisher smiled gratefully and made his way out of Stingray's pen. Little did he know it, but this was exactly what Troy was hoping he would do.

"He's pretty shaken up by this, isn't he?" Troy said to Phones.

"Yeah…more so than during that training exercise," said Phones. "Yet somehow he managed to keep his head with that one."

"He had to be. He was in charge then," said Troy, turning back to look at Stingray and the damage on it. He then went back to the important subject. "You're saying that this Terror Fish was faster than Stingray, Phones? But we've always been able to outrun them before."

"Not this time, Troy," replied Phones. "And when we did manage to take it out, the explosion was a lot greater than any previous ones we've destroyed."

Troy scratched his chin thoughtfully. "And what do you suppose it could have been?" he asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," said Phones. "The only way those critters could beat us for speed is if Titan has somehow managed to develop atomic power."

"But if he has, then that means he's found uranium," said Troy. "And our surveys show there's only one place in that area where he could have gotten it."

"I know, Troy," said Phones. "The Pacific Mining Plant."

"But he would have had to have taken it over in order to get it," said Troy. "And there's no evidence of that."

"If he'd taken it over, that Tanker wouldn't have sailed," said Phones.

"Exactly," finished Troy.

The two men returned to the Control Tower when Atlanta came running out. "Troy! Troy! You're needed in the control room. We've just intercepted a transmission coming from a ship in the Pacific!"

"What kind of ship, Atlanta?" asked Troy.

"A Uranium Tanker from the Mining Plant," said Atlanta. "The one that left earlier today!"

Troy and Phones exchanged a look. "Let me speak to him!" said Troy, hurrying his way into the control room. He went over to the long console and picked up the microphone. "This is Captain Tempest speaking."

"Captain! Thank God!" came the voice of a man over the radio. "This is Lieutenant Boyd here. I'm aboard the Tanker that left the Uranium Plant earlier today. Listen, Captain, we have a real situation out here. The Plant has been invaded by Titan!"

Troy, Phones and Atlanta all looked at each other in shock. "Titan?!" Troy said, eager to learn more. "How did it happen?"

"He used the B-4 to trick the controllers into thinking you guys had managed to recover it," Boyd said. "Then when they opened the gates to let it in, an armada of Terror Fish came in with it. It's bad, Captain. All of us were captured, but I managed to escape. I had to get out by boarding this vessel so I could warn you all. Titan is making us convert his Terror Fish to atomic power. I can't begin to imagine the danger the world will be in if he gets them all converted."

"I concur, Boyd," said Troy. "Thank you for this. Now get yourself off that ship in a launch. I'll send an aircraft to pick you up."

"Thank you, Captain. Boyd out."

Troy slammed the microphone down on the desk. "Well, I'll be damned!" he said.

"So Titan HAS managed to get hold of the Uranium Plant!" said Phones.

"Oh, Gosh!" gasped Atlanta. "This is terrible! If he converts all his Terror Fish, there's no way that you and Stingray can stand up to them! What are we going to do, Troy?"

Troy didn't answer for a moment. But then a thought struck him. "Wait a minute…Yes…Yes, this is perfect!" He turned to face them. "Atlanta, don't all messages through here get recorded?"

"Well, sure, Troy, but-"

"Get me a copy of that conversation and then forward it to Washington," instructed Troy. "This is exactly what we need to help your father win his case against Marshal Ketov!"

Atlanta stared at him for a moment, then her eyes lit up as she realised too what it meant. "Yes…Yes of course!" she said excitedly and hurried off to see to it.

In the Court of Inquiry, Commander Shore had managed to present his case for defence despite numerous interruptions from both Marshal Ketov and those who were supporting the Marshal's case. Now it was up to the heads of the board to make their final decision based on the evidence.

At last, Admiral Kincaid stood up. "Commander Shore. We have reviewed the evidence from both you and Marshal Ketov and we have finally come to a decision. Based on the evidence, we reg-"

Suddenly the doors burst open and a young aid came running in. "Admiral! Admiral! Marineville has just called. They've sent something you'll all want to hear!"

Before anyone could start berating the young man for barging in without knocking, the aid had put a disc into a playing machine. What they heard sent stunned chills down their spines.

"This is Lieutenant Boyd here. I'm aboard the Tanker that left the Uranium Plant earlier today. Listen, Captain, we have a real situation out here. The Plant has been invaded by Titan!"

"Titan?! How did it happen?"

"He used the B-4 to trick the controllers into thinking you guys had managed to recover it. Then when they opened the gates to let it in, an armada of Terror Fish came in with it. It's bad, Captain. All of us were captured, but I managed to escape. I had to get out by boarding this vessel so I could warn you all. Titan is making us convert his Terror Fish to atomic power. I can't begin to imagine the danger the world will be in if he gets them all converted."

The aid then stopped the tape.

Everyone was now looking at each other and murmuring. Even Marshal Ketov was silent.

After a few moments, Admiral Kincaid raised a hand for silence. "It would seem, Commander Shore, that we've been a little premature in coming to our decision," he said. "In light of this new evidence, all charges against you are now dropped."

"WHAT?!" shrieked Marshal Ketov. "BUT-"

"You are free to go," Admiral Kincaid continued. "Marineville needs you."

Commander Shore remained strong-faced as he had done throughout the inquiry. "Thank you, sir," he said and began to head for the door.

But Marshal Ketov wasn't finished with his protests. "THIS IS AN OUTAGE! THIS MAN HAS BEEN NEGLIGENT! HOW CAN YOU LET HIM OFF LIKE THIS?!"

"And how can you argue against evidence such as what we've just heard, Marshal?" asked Admiral Kincaid. "Go, Commander. Your people need you."

Commander Shore nodded. "Sir," he said and hovered towards the door. As he reached them, he took a quick glance back over his shoulder at Marshal Ketov and smirked when he saw how red the diplomat had turned. He looked like a nuclear reactor on the verge of exploding. He didn't say a word, but his smirk turned into a triumphant grin as he exited the room, leaving the Marshal beyond furious.

Admiral Kincaid looked over and saw that Marshal Ketov was shaking with fury, his fists clenched. He then grabbed threw the papers he was holding onto the floor and stormed out of another door leading out of the room, cursing and swearing to himself as he went. The Admiral chuckled. "Now there's a bruised ego if ever I saw one," he remarked.