A late third season story.  A WHB and WHN for Destroy Seaview, with a surprising and disturbing connection to the past.  Please note that I varied from the episode’s runaway reactor resolution simply because the science just isn’t there… you can’t stop a reactor from going critical by short-circuiting the reaction with a laser blast.  Not being a nuclear engineer, I’m pretty sure my handling of the Reactor Room wouldn’t have done the trick either, but it is more plausible.  I did, however, keep the very improbable radiation decontamination as a cure for Dr. Land, simply because this is science fiction and… I needed it. : ) 

 

Inspired by “Small Victories” story challenge at Seaview Stories.

 

Runaway Reactor

 

by Lynn

 

 

Chapter One

 

Lee’s lucidness returned as another jolt from the runaway reactor rocked Seaview.  He had no time to help a bleeding Sharkey apparently suffering from a bullet wound, or fuss over Harry, currently lying stunned by a low voltage laser gun blast administered by Dr. Land; the reactor was minutes away from reaching critical.  He rushed shakily in to dampen the rods that Harry had pulled in his crazed attempt to Destroy Seaview.

 

“Lee, no you can’t!”

 

Harry’s plea to stop was followed by a jolt that knocked Lee away from the reactor rods as Harry barreled in, pushing Seaview’s captain away at full force.  Lee was stunned physically, Harry’s booby trap explosion hadn’t helped his weakened condition; by the time he recovered, the reactor was already cooling as Harry had unexpectedly found his senses.

 

Lee walked shakily toward him, assessing Harry’s mental state and finally recognizing the familiar fire in Admiral Nelson’s eyes; it was a passion he recognized as he realized that whatever had been driving Harry to destroy Seaview had inexplicably been abated.

 

“How did all this happen?  Now, who’s responsible for this?” the Admiral demanded, completely unaware of his hand in their near disaster.

 

“How did all this happen?!” a shocked Lee Crane countered as Harry waved him off.

 

“All right, you can tell me about it later.  It’s all right now.  The reaction has been averted and Seaview is herself again,” he stated, walking out of the Reactor Room with a bewildered Captain Crane following behind.

 

* * * * *

 

Three weeks earlier…

 

Captain Crane ran through Seaview’s corridors as the sound of klaxons reverberated in the air.  The red lights of the emergency generator flickered on and off, declaring its precarious state.  He rounded the corner, reaching the Engineering compartment housing the faulty generator.

 

“Report, Mr. O’Brien,” he ordered as soon as he entered.

 

“Thirty minutes, Sir.  I’m sorry, but I can’t shave off any more time than that,” he answered over his shoulder, not stopping his work, even to report.

 

Lee leaned down, inspecting the damaged unit himself before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, coming to the same conclusion as his Engineering Officer.

 

“Carry on, Bobby,” he urged, the seriousness of the repair easily heard in the intensity of his voice.  He headed straight for the mic hanging on the wall and snapped it up, clicking to activate the boat-wide com system.

 

“Admiral, ETA on the generator is thirty minutes.”

 

A slight delay was followed by the Admiral’s voice.  “It’s not good enough, Lee.  Dampening the rods just isn’t enough if we can’t cool the pipes,” he answered intensely.  “At this point the reactor will go critical in fifteen minutes,” he predicted.

 

Lee balled the mic in his hand, tapping it against his chin as he thought desperately for a solution to save the boat and every man on board.  No power meant that Seaview was sitting on the bottom, the faulty emergency generator wasn’t even keeping up with air revitalization, but that wasn’t their greatest problem.  Though the air was fouling, they could hold out thirty minutes if only they could cool the pipes to Seaview’s runaway reactor.  Fifteen minutes… all he had was fifteen minutes…

 

“Lee?  Did you hear me?” Harry inquired, just as Lee’s face lit in realization.

 

“Admiral, I’ve got an idea.  All we need is sea water to cool the pipes.”

 

“Well now, that is the problem, isn’t it?” Harry replied in slight exasperation to Lee’s statement.

 

“But it can be done, Sir,” Lee continued on with a quick glance at his watch.  “All I have to do is manually pump the water…”

 

“At this depth, the water will barely be above freezing, even with dive gear it’s a long shot.”

 

“It’s the only way, Admiral.  You keep dampening the rods; I’ll start pumping as soon as I reach the compartment.”

 

A short pause was followed by an accepting gust of the breath as Harry apparently came to the same conclusion.  “Take care, Lee.”

 

“Aye Sir,” he replied, double clicking the mic and making another call.

 

“Chip, I need the service access opened to the reactor coolant system and a set of tanks waiting for me when I get there.”

 

An efficient “Aye Sir” was heard as Lee took off, yelling over his shoulder as he ran.  “Keep at it, Bobby.  I need those generators up!”

 

“Aye, aye, Sir,” the Engineering Officer replied, putting aside his concern for his captain’s safety and concentrating on the task at hand; but everyone on board knew that thirty minutes in the cold 40-degree water would mean a sure case of hypothermia at best; at worst… well, he didn’t even want to think about that.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee made his way to the service compartment finding Sharkey and a rating both working to unscrew the access panel.  He paced the deck anxiously just as Chip and Kowalski arrived a moment later with a set of tanks and a dry suit.  Lee reached for the tanks, bypassing the dry suit to Chip’s furled brow.

 

“Lee…” the first officer protested, but was cut-off in mid-sentence.

 

“No time,” the Skipper responded with a check of the watch.  “Hurry it along, Chief.  I’ve only got twelve minutes to make it to the manual station and pump enough water to cool the pipes.”

 

“This is the last one, Skipper,” Sharkey replied, pulling out the final screw.

 

“Lee, you won’t last fifteen minutes in there before hypothermia sets in without a suit,” Chip warned in a respectful whisper, his blue eyes piercing in staunch disapproval.

 

Lee tested his mouth piece, blowing to make sure his line was clear, before turning toward his friend of many years.  “There’s no time for this, Chip.  You know as well as I do that we’re working against the clock here,” he said, hoisting himself into the access panel before turning around to take the tank from Chief Sharkey since the opening was too small to fit through with the tank attached.  “Besides,” he added attaching the tank belt about his waist as he spoke, “I’ll only be exposed for a half hour, you may have to thaw me out, but it’s survivable,” he said, adding a small half-smile before returning to the seriousness of his task.  “Seal the access panel back up to ensure proper pressure,” he ordered, to Chip’s nod.

 

“Aye, aye Sir,” the Exec answered dutifully, before nodding to Sharkey.  “You heard the Skipper, Chief, seal it up.”

 

Chip watched as Sharkey and a rating reapplied the screws to the access door and scoffed silently. 

 

Survivable, he repeated sardonically, knowing that Lee was banking on the high-end of the survivability scale of 90 minutes in water below 40 degrees, and completely glossing over the fact that the low-end of the survivability table was just thirty minutes.

 

The flickering lights underscored the precarious position the Boat was currently in while Chip watched Sharkey tighten the last screw.

 

“Keep two men stationed here ready to reopen the panel, Chief.”

 

“Aye Sir, Marcos and I will man the detail.”

 

Chip nodded and headed out the door.  He knew it would take Lee several minutes to reach the manual pump station, and now was the perfect time to check in on the Admiral in the Reactor Room.  A quick glance at his watch emphasized the point that precious time was ticking away as he hurried his steps, hoping that Lee’s plan worked and praying that it wouldn’t cost Seaview its captain in the process.

 

* * * * *

 

“How is it coming, Sir?” Chip asked, entering the Reactor Room and finding Harry dampening rods, one at a time and in perfect sequence, trying to stay ahead of the reactor reaching its critical point.

 

“We’re just not keeping up.  Lee had better get that pump working fast, or all this will be for nothing,” Harry replied in a moment of raw honesty, as he calculated critical mass in seven minutes if the pipes weren’t cooled fast.

 

Chip nodded, realizing that Harry wasn’t being callous over Lee’s exposure to the cold waters at 1,200 feet, but was dealing with an imminent disaster if Seaview’s Captain wasn’t successful.

 

“Aye Sir, he’s on his way,” Chip replied, deciding that now wasn’t the time to tell the Admiral that Lee had chosen to brave the cold waters without a dive suit in order to reach the manual pump station as quickly as possible. 

 

“Dampen number 9, Chip,” Harry said watching the gauges and making adjustments.  “Come on, Lee,” Nelson urged under his breath as the tension ramped up. 

 

Nervous exchanges among several of the reactor crew were passed, as the threshold to “critical” drew near; each one keenly aware that once the reactor hit a certain point, no amount of cooling of the pipes could stop it.  Anxious glances at the clock verified that the point of no return was only minutes away, as the whole Boat waited to see if Captain Crane could pull off another miracle to save Seaview and her crew.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee wasted no time crawling through the access tube toward the water tight hatch ahead, as the lighting diminished markedly as the access panel was sealed behind him.  The dim red illumination of emergency lighting led his way as he cracked the first of two hatches that served as the “gateway” to the chamber he would soon be flooding with ice cold sea water.  He closed the first hatch behind him, before crawling to the next hatch, the watertight chamber acting as the buffer between the wet compartment housing the reactor coolant system, and the dry access compartment.   A quick roll of the wheel and the second hatch was opened, as Lee crawled in and sealed it behind him.  Immediately, he crawled for the manual pumping station as sweat rolled down his temples and slid down his jaw.  His shirt dampened almost at once, as the overheated pipes overhead increased the temperature of the chamber almost unbearably.  He reached the pump and grabbed the lever to begin pumping, but withdrew his hand when the heated metal beneath his hand stung instantly.  He tested the lever again, deciding that he could handle the heated lever and began pumping, a long slow process that required him flooding the entire compartment by hand.  Soon, the frigid water of 38 degrees began pouring in.  It only took a few minutes for the water to begin flooding the deck, causing him to shiver immediately when it reached his legs folded up under him.  The compartment was barely tall enough for him to work, even on his knees, requiring him to bend his head over slightly to avoid the pipes overhead.

 

“Hurry, hurry,” he urged himself as he watched the water rise, working through an involuntary shiver as the water reached his thighs.   He continued pumping as the water reached his chest, invoking a gasp reflex and noting that the near-freezing water was already cooling the hot chamber, but fully aware that the danger wouldn’t pass until the compartment was completely flooded. 

 

He lowered his face mask and adjusted his regulator to his mouth when the water reached his neck, a moment later the chamber was completely flooded.  He risked a quick glance at his watch and was relieved to see that he had made it; if the Admiral’s calculations were accurate, he amended silently, just as his shivers moved to violent shaking.

 

* * * * *

 

Chip continued to assist Harry in the Reactor Room where nearly all the rods had been pulled.

 

“The temperature is still rising, Sir.  Do we pull another?” Chip asked, his blue eyes piercing in intensity.

 

Harry shook his head, pursing his bottom lip as he studied the gauges for himself.  “Negative Chip, we’ve got to give Lee more time.  If we can keep the temperature in this range, we have a chance of the Reactor recovering; if we dampen everything, we risk a completely runaway Reactor with no further recourse,” Harry explained, having completed all the complex calculations in his head.

 

The needle on the gauge seemed to teeter back and forth for a moment, as if reassessing its next move, before staying steady.

 

“Wait a minute,” Harry said, as a half-smile twitched on his cheek while watching the critical temperature gauge.  “I think he must be pumping the water.”  A small chuckle followed as the needle dropped a point and he pushed one rod in.  The needle waggled again, but apparently the cooling water was doing its job as it remained steady for a moment and then dropped yet another notch on the gauge.

 

“He’s got it,” Harry declared, as the crewmen manning the Reactor Room let out a whoop of relief.

 

“All right men, pipe down!” Chip admonished, effectively bringing the exuberant ratings’ attention back to the work at hand.  The danger wasn’t over yet; not until the emergency generator was up and running at full strength.

 

Harry continued making calculations in his head and adjusting accordingly; the dampening of reactor rods not just an arbitrary task of adjusting rods at one’s whim, while Chip stood by, ready to lend a hand if requested.

 

“It’s working,” Harry said with a nod to the gauge as the needle made its way from the ominous red zone where it had been parked, toward the green zone.

 

Chip blew out a breath of relief and glanced at his watch.  “I’ll check on engineering’s progress with the generator,” he told the Admiral, to Harry’s nod as he continued to monitor the status of the Reactor.

 

The progress of the generator was still vital as the Reactor wasn’t ready to receive the power plant duties until the Admiral could give it a clean bill of health; but even with all the good news, Chip hadn’t lost track of the fact that Lee was still manually pumping sea water without a dive suit.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee’s teeth chattered against the regulator as he manually pumped fresh sea water into the compartment, all the while trying to avoid gasping as the temperature of the water attacked him like a thousand tiny pins.  But it wasn’t enough to just flood the compartment, he had to stay and continue pumping to prevent the over-heated pipes from raising the water’s temperature and negating his efforts.  His endeavor, however, was seriously compromised by the fact that he was losing the feeling in his hands.  He was still shaking violently when a radio transmission came through.

 

“Lee, this is Chip.  It’s working.  The Reactor is cooling and approaching the safety limit.”

 

Lee mustered all his strength to answer, trying his best to hide his current distress.

 

“G…good.  Generator?” he questioned.

 

“Still on schedule, but Bobby assures me it will be fixed within the next fifteen minutes.”

 

“F…fine,” he stuttered, blinking under his mask, and shaking his head to stay lucid.

 

“Lee,” Chip called tentatively, hoping to talk sense into Seaview’s intrepid captain.  “You did it, you gave us the time we needed to repair the generator; I’ll send in a replacement to pump the station.”

 

“No!” he answered emphatically.  “C…compartment will drain in transfer, have to keep… pipes cool ‘till Bobby’s finished,” he replied, his efforts to keep pumping heard through his pained voice.  “Only fifteen mmm…minutes… more,” he added before hearing Chip’s “Aye Sir” acknowledging that this wasn’t a request, but an order.

 

Lee blinked again, realizing that for a moment he had forgotten to continue pumping.  He shook his head to clear his fuzzy brain and put all his concentration into the task of keeping fresh sea water flowing into the compartment.  His hands were wrapped around the lever, practically frozen in position and he dared not removed them, since he was losing feeling in his extremities.  The up-down motion of pulling the lever was getting more difficult as his coordination started to waiver, dictating even more concentration.  He recognized that the symptoms of hypothermia were manifesting themselves and knew that it would take all his effort to stay on task. 

 

Chip said fifteen minutes, was that a few minutes ago? he asked himself, before shaking his head again to clear his mind.  It didn’t matter how long had passed; this was his post until the pumps came online again, he determined resolutely as his blood pressure, respiration, and pulse began to drop.

 

* * * * *

 

Chip pursed his bottom lip tightly at Lee’s refusal to allow a relief to his position.  He was right of course, but the thought of his friend exposed to the cold sea water for fifteen minutes longer was nearly unbearable, especially when he wasn’t properly geared for the job.  Nevertheless, his job was to support the decisions of his captain and answered in accordance with his naval training.

 

“Aye Sir,” Seaview’s Exec replied, trying to avoid biting his bottom lip and having made this call from the Radio Shack utilizing the phone receiver to avoid the transmission being broadcasted all over the Boat. 

 

Sparks raised a worried brow, the only other person to have heard the Skipper who was clearly suffering from a case of hypothermia.

 

Chip hung up the receiver.  “Monitor the frequency, Sparks.  Keep me advised,” he ordered, even though Lee had turned off the talk function from his end, no doubt to keep his current ordeal private. 

 

“Aye Sir,” Sparks replied, promising to be Lee’s lifeline.

 

Chip nodded; their shared unspoken concern clearly visible.  His shoulders heaved as he took an appraising glance around the Control Room.   They were dead in the water, on the bottom some 1,200 feet below the surface, and completely vulnerable without sonar or hydrophones.  He only hoped that the hostile sub they were forced to blow out of the water had been a solo effort against them.  Without the Reactor up and running they had no power to launch torpedoes.  In short, they were sitting ducks if another enemy sub came a calling. 

 

There wasn’t anything he could do with the Control Room stations dead or working minimally, so he headed to where he could do the most good for Seaview.

 

“You have the Con, Sparks,” he ordered, before heading aft to check on the progress of both the generator and the Reactor, while Sparks monitored the frequency.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry continued to make adjustments to the dampening rods as the needle slowly crept closer within safety limits.  The tension in the Reactor Room had slowly morphed to guarded optimism, seasoned with the knowledge that they weren’t out of the woods yet, as the Admiral’s concentration and on-going concern served as an example for the young rating’s own diligence in their duties. 

 

Harry, however, was silently thinking through another problem even as he worked to bring the Reactor under control.  Washington had issued a “credible threat” warning, received only hours before the run-in with the unidentified enemy sub had sent Seaview to the bottom.  Fortunately, Lee’s able-handling of the Boat had brought about a direct hit on their adversary, as the smaller submarine without country markings, was destroyed by the expert seamanship of Seaview’s Captain.  The victory was short-lived however, as they still had the task of outrunning a live torpedo on their sixes.  Lee had employed a risky, but effective tactic, maneuvering the sub close to a sea mount, before deploying counter-measures and then high-tailing it out of the torpedo’s path.  The tactic worked, with the torpedo following the countermeasures and hitting the sea mount, unfortunately, Seaview was too close to the explosion and the strong shock waves did their damage, the result being a damaged Reactor.  To make matters worse, the emergency generator was also damaged, along with a list of fixes DC was currently working on. 

 

Harry eyed the temperature gauge, ascertaining that the Reactor was no longer a threat and pursed his bottom lip in satisfaction.  Though not in the green yet, the Reactor was under control and well on its way to operating safely once again.  He expelled a sigh of relief before returning to the issue of the enemy sub.

 

Washington hadn’t elaborated in the short communique, but he was certain that he knew exactly what had been the instigator of the threat… Seaview’s deep diving capabilities and Zycron 143.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee’s pumping began to slow as his limbs slowly began to stop working.  Unfortunately, he was breaking the first rule of cold water survival, which called for the victim to stay as still as possible as expending energy only cools the body faster.  Thus, the continual pumping had lowered his resistance to the cold, and hypothermia had well set in; much faster, in fact, than if he were observing the rules of pulling one’s legs up to the torso to conserve body heat. 

 

Despite the fact that he was slowing down, he still managed to pump even though the shivering had stopped, another sign that the hypothermia had progressed in severity.  It was now taking all of his concentration to move the lever up and down as his mental faculties turned sluggish until finally, he couldn’t pump any longer.  His arms just refused to work anymore as his coordination took a deep dive south.  He sat looking at the lever for a moment, his mind drifting until he suddenly remembered Seaview’s plight.  He couldn’t let his crew down, so he focused all his attention on the lever beneath his hands and pulled downward, the whole maneuver taking all his strength as he leaned against the lever.  His mind drifted once again, lost in a lethargic blissful world until the red lighting inside the compartment brightened.  He blinked as a gurgling noise caught his attention even in his compromised state, and looked up to realize that fresh sea water was now pumping without his aid.  His awareness barely caught the signs that power had been restored as the weight of his task finally lifted from his shoulders, releasing him from his responsibility as his eyes stared blankly and he fell forward.

 

Chapter Two

 

“The generator is fully functional, Sir,” Chip reported, entering the Reactor Room to Harry’s nod. 

 

“Yes, I can see that,” Harry answered over his shoulder, making another calculation and pushing the last of the three cylindrical rods into their resting positions.  “It looks like Lee bought us the time we needed, and it wasn’t by much,” Harry mused.  “It was close, but we should have the Reactor reinitiated and the sub operating at full capacity within the next few minutes.”

 

“I’ll inform Lee to stand down,” Chip replied, walking to the mic and clicking.  “Sparks, this is Morton.  Put me through to the Captain.”

 

An “Aye Sir” was followed by a short pause before Sparks continued.  “Sir, the line is open.  Go ahead.”

 

“Skipper, this is the Exec.  Power has been restored.”  Chip lowered the mic and waited for an answer as the air was filled with only slow heavy breaths.  “Lee!” Chip called again as the Admiral moved to stand beside him.

 

“What’s going on?” Harry asked, his forehead furled in concern.

 

“Lee didn’t have time to suit up before going into the compartment, Sir,” Chip replied, laying it on the line in as few words as possible.   Harry sized up the danger immediately, taking the mic from Chip’s hand and clicking.

 

“Lee, this is Nelson.  What’s your condition?  Report!”

 

“Ccccan’t… move…”

 

“Hold on, Lee.  We’re on our way!” Harry called, dropping the mic and running for the Reactor Coolant Access Compartment.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry and Chip entered the compartment finding Sharkey and Marcos hastily removing screws to the access panel, having heard the exchange over the com system. 

 

“Hurry, Chief,” Harry urged.

 

“Sir, shall we suit you up?” Chip asked with a nod to Lee’s discarded dive suit, sitting on the deck.

 

“There’s no time, Chip,” Harry said, reaching for a second tank and air regulator sitting on the deck.  “He has even less time than the Reactor did,” Harry shot back, just as Sharkey pulled the last screw, before removing the panel. 

 

Harry wasted no time climbing into the access tube as Chip headed for the mic.  Harry reached the first watertight door, turning the wheel and entering the transfer tube as the sound of Chip’s voice calling Sickbay and declaring an emergency was quieted by the closing of the access panel behind him.  He sealed the first hatch and moved to the second hatch, turning the wheel and realizing that once it was opened, near-freezing sea water would begin flooding the compartment.  He wasn’t suited for the rescue, but the thought of Lee in the water for over thirty minutes drowned out any concern he had for his own well-being. 

 

He pulled the hatch as water poured in, resulting in an involuntary gasp at the coldness.  Once the door was opened he entered the Manual Pump Station, making an immediate bee-line for Lee’s crumpled body. 

 

“Lee!” he called on the open com, but received no answer as he made his way toward his unresponsive friend. 

 

Harry pulled Lee off the manual pump, stopping to pry his hands free from the lever.

 

“Come on, Lee, we have to get you out of here.”

 

“Nothing… works…” Lee responded airily as Harry wasted no time in dragging Lee across the deck, aided by the buoyancy of the water. 

 

He pulled Lee through the hatch as water continued to pour into the transfer tube, but he couldn’t dog the hatch until the pressure equalized. 

 

“Hold on, Lee, we’re almost there,” he urged, depositing Lee against the bulkhead as he dogged the hatch and began draining the transfer tube.  He returned to find Lee slumped against the bulkhead with his eyes opened, but eerily unresponsive.  Harry shivered, ignoring the cold water continuing to assault him as he reached for Lee’s shoulders, attempting to make eye contact through the face mask.

 

“Stay with me, Lee,” he urged and was rewarded with a purposeful blink as the water drained from the compartment quickly.  As soon as the water drained, the green light over the hatch illuminated and was instantly turned from the outside as Chip appeared, ready to lend a helping hand.

 

Lee was ice cold as Chip and Harry dragged his dead weight to the access panel, lowering him down to waiting hands below.  Jamie and his corpsmen converged upon the unresponsive captain immediately while Chip and Harry lowered themselves to the deck, watching the strangely still form of Seaview’s Captain.

 

“How is he, Jamie?” Harry asked, shivering from his own exposure as Sharkey placed a blanket around his shoulders.

 

“Suffering from severe hypothermia,” Jamie replied, cutting his shirt away and applying hot pads to strategic regions before wrapping him in a warmed blanket, but the vacant look in Lee’s eyes was alarming.  “Stay with me, Skipper,” Jamie urged as he added an oxygen mask while looking into his patient’s eyes, but seeing a blank stare in return.  “Let’s get him to Sickbay,” he ordered, knowing that there wasn’t a moment to lose if he was to save Seaview’s Captain.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry watched as Lee was whisked away to Sickbay, pulling the blanket tighter across his shoulders before finding his voice once again.

 

“Chip, get us off the bottom and make sure we don’t have any company out there,” he ordered.

 

“Aye Sir,” Chip replied with a nod to Chief Sharkey to look after the Admiral.  The move wasn’t missed by Harry, and Sharkey was only too happy to go on “Admiral Watch”.

 

“Get that panel sealed up, Marcos,” Sharkey ordered before turning to the Admiral.  “Sir, let’s get you to Sickbay.”

 

“Doc’s got enough to keep him busy right now,” Harry replied.  “I just need a hot shower and a change of clothes,” he finished turning toward the door.

 

“Yes Sir,” Sharkey agreed; content to follow the Admiral and make sure he made it to his cabin.

 

Harry shook his head at the mother hen he had picked up when he hired Francis Ethelbert Sharkey on as Chief of the Boat.  He would have been chuckling on the inside, had he not been so concerned about Lee’s condition. 

 

He made his way to Officer Country with Sharkey on his heels, but ignoring his escort as he calculated the survivability of over thirty minutes in the near-freezing water.  He reached his cabin and turned toward Sharkey, finally acknowledging his presence.

 

“I think I can handle it from here, Chief.”

 

“Aye Sir, I’ll just check in with Mr. Morton for further orders,” he said with his familiar loyal-as-a-puppy-dog smile.

 

Harry just nodded and entered his cabin, intending on taking as little time as possible so that he could get to Sickbay to check on Lee.

 

He soaked under the hot water just long enough to feel his cold bones warming, before exiting and changing into a fresh uniform and sporting his green wool sweater.  A quick brush of his ample auburn hair later and he was reaching for the handle of his cabin door, not the least bit surprised to see that his “escort” was still waiting for him on the other side, and couldn’t hold back the roll of his eyes upon seeing Sharkey.

 

“Uh… Mr. Morton sent me to…” Sharkey started, but Harry waved a dismissive hand to any further explanations as he barreled forward.

 

“I know, I know.  Well, come on, Chief.  Let’s see how Captain Crane is doing,” he said, to Sharkey’s silent blow of the breath for the Admiral’s acceptance of his presence.

 

* * * * *

 

Upon entering Sickbay Harry was greeted to the awful sight of Lee Crane shaking violently on the examination table.  It was a sight he hadn’t expected to see.

 

“What’s going on?” he demanded, knowing that Lee’s condition had already passed the early stages of shivering.

 

“After drop,” Jamie explained in two words, both men fully aware of the dangerous effect of severe hypothermia where respiration and pulse rate is slowed dangerously; but once the victim is treated, the very real danger of his body temperature dropping once again occurs when the cold blood from the extremities begins pumping back into the core.  The result is a second drop of temperature, starting the cycle all over again with the victim much weaker than at first exposure.

 

Harry pursed his bottom lip watching as Lee struggled to stay warm under piles of blankets, and currently being treated with hot packs on his neck, chest, under his arms and groin.  In addition, an IV was in place, no doubt dripping a warm saline solution into his blood stream.   There wasn’t too much more that could be done, but to monitor his core temperature and deal with any emergencies, including the very real possibility of cardiac or respiratory failure. 

 

It seemed like forever, but Harry’s concern was finally alleviated with the doctor’s next words as Jamie finished listening to Lee’s heart, offering a reassuring smile while pulling the stethoscope from his ears.

 

“He’s stabilizing, Admiral,” Jamie reported to Harry’s relieved blow of the breath.  “He’s exhausted; so, only a few minutes, Sir,” he added, stepping back to give them privacy.

 

Harry stepped forward, placing a concerned hand on Lee’s shoulder.  He appeared to be sleeping at first, but stirred immediately upon hearing Harry’s voice.

 

“You just let Jamie take care of you, Lad,” he offered far less awkwardly than he would have three years ago when Lee first came aboard.  In fact, they were nearing Lee’s fourth anniversary at Seaview’s helm.  Their relationship had become much less formal, though always professional, especially aboard Seaview.  But at times like this, Harry was compelled to offer his concern in a much more paternal fashion than in previous years.

 

Lee responded to Harry’s voice by opening his eyes as the shivering continued, though lessening in severity.

 

“Gggguess… it www…orked,” he stammered with a small grin. 

 

Harry chuckled at Lee’s understatement, and the fact that he was completely lucid; a very good sign.

 

“I’d say it worked,” Harry replied with a smile, resulting in Lee’s small half-smile in return.

 

“How…?” he asked, wondering just how Harry had kept the Reactor from running away when it was so close to reaching critical, and knowing full-well that their solution really had been a long-shot.

 

Harry nodded, knowing what Lee was after.  “How did we keep the Reactor from running away?”

 

Lee nodded and swallowed.

 

“There’s a very specific and mathematical solution to dampening the rods,” Harry answered, finding the discussion a comfortable place to settle now that the danger had apparently passed.  “I’ve been working on the mathematics lately, I just didn’t know that I’d have a chance to test my hypothesis quite so soon,” he said with a small smile.

 

Lee’s smile widened as Harry continued, the Admiral’s tone turning decidedly serious as he feigned a dressing down.

 

“I’d like to keel haul your six for going without protective gear, Lee, but… it was the right call.  I hate to admit it, but it was close,” the Admiral confessed regarding their near disaster with a seemingly imminent runaway reactor.  “But the next time you pull a stunt like that, I will,” he promised with a shake of his finger and a tight-lipped smile that reached the full twinkle of his eyes.

 

“Aye Sss…Sir,” Lee replied, still working through his shivers, but offering his gratefulness in his own expressive eyes.  “Thanks for ccc…coming for me,” he added.  “Everything shutdown on me.”

 

Harry nodded and added a pat to Lee’s shoulder.  “You just rest now and leave the driving to us,” he answered, his shoulders heaving in a satisfied expelled breath now that they had talked.

 

Lee twitched another half-smile, before allowing his eyes to close heavily as exhaustion took him to a much needed restorative slumber.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry left Sickbay much relieved, but every step he took toward the Control Room became increasingly tense as Sharkey followed alongside him, careful not to get in the Admiral’s way.

 

“What was happening in the Control Room when you reported to the Exec?” Harry asked, back in full admiral mode.

 

“Mr. Morton has it under control, Sir.  Sonar and hydrophones report, ‘All Clear’,” Seaview’s Chief of the Boat reported.

 

The news should have brought relief, but Harry knew all too well that Zycron 143 was too fantastic of a discovery to believe that one failed attempt of eliminating Seaview would be accepted by the powers behind the surprise attack.

 

Once they reached the Control Room Sharkey took up his duty post, while Harry moved straight for Sonar satisfying himself that they were in the clear with a quick assessment of his own, before joining Chip at the Chart Table.

 

“What’s our position, Chip?” Harry asked.

 

“Right here, Sir,” Chip replied pointing to the Chart Table.

 

“Hmmm,” Harry said, pursing his bottom lip in a familiar move when he was in deep thought.  “Three days from Pearl,” he noted, efficiently calculating the distance in his head.  “What about Damage Control?”

 

“DC reports she’s sound and ready to answer all bells, Sir.”

 

Harry heaved a small sigh, while obviously mulling over his next thoughts.  “Let’s keep our position to ourselves for the time being, Chip.  Observe radio silence until further notice and notify me immediately if sonar detects any vessel, whether submerged or on the surface.”

 

“Aye Sir,” Chip replied efficiently, before leaning in a bit closer to ask his next question.  “How’s Lee, Sir?”

 

“He’s stable and on his way to recovery,” Harry replied, relaxing his command stance slightly to discuss their mutual friend, both with ties as close as family.

 

Chip blew out a relieved breath and nodded, before recovering from the slight dip in his command face and returning to boat business.

 

“Do you have any idea what the attack was all about, Sir?” he asked as Harry glanced back at sonar, answering Seaview’s first officer with his own question.

 

“Were you able to identify the sub’s profile?”

 

A small shake of the head preceded Chip’s reply.  “No Sir.  They’re working on it right now,” he said with a tilt of the head toward Ski at Sonar and Patterson at Hydrophones.  “But so far, it’s not a known vessel in our profiles.”

 

Harry nodded, obviously expecting the answer to his question as he turned his back to the Control Room and leaned in close to speak privately with Chip.

 

“I’m pretty sure our last mission briefing has something to do with the attack,” he said, answering Chip’s earlier question furtively.

 

Chip acknowledged his understanding of just which mission briefing the Admiral was talking about, recalling well the meeting before they left Santa Barbara. 

 

“Sounds like Lee’s concerns were well-founded,” Chip replied quietly.

 

Harry chuckled in a near-scoff.  “It only goes to prove that we’re on the right track, and therefore we must proceed forward,” the Admiral corrected with fervor.

 

“Aye Sir,” Chip returned dutifully.

 

“At any rate,” Harry continued, purposely trying to bring the intensity level down a notch, “Lee’s not the only one questioning the wisdom of harvesting a sample for testing.   We’re going to have to stay vigilant until Dr. Land confirms the coordinates and the mission is given the go ahead.”

 

“Aye Sir.”

 

Harry glanced about the Control Room, satisfying himself that all was well and stepped back from the Chart Table.

 

“I’ll be in my cabin if you need me,” he said curtly, trying to tamp down his irritation at the reminder of Lee’s reticence for Dr. Land’s incredible discovery.  He took the spiral steps quickly, suddenly feeling the need for privacy.  It wasn’t the first time he and Lee had differed over the value of a scientific discovery, nor was it the first time they had been at odds over Seaview’s part in a dangerous mission.  Lee had voiced his opinion, but in the end, couldn’t justify his feelings as anything more than a hunch.  Though Harry had come to appreciate his captain’s almost uncanny ability to sense danger, he had felt that the benefits of Zycron 143 were far too valuable to be left undiscovered, especially when Seaview was built for discoveries such as this.  Furthermore, Seaview wasn’t the only boat capable of diving to the depths to harvest the possible new ore, which necessitated their participation all the more.  Not everyone was interested in the possible new energy source for the good of humanity. 

 

No, Harry qualified silently; it wasn’t only their scientific duty, but their duty as peace-keepers to move forward with the project.

 

Harry stepped into his cabin refreshed; Lee had come to the same conclusion, albeit reluctantly.  The Admiral was sure of not only the value, but the responsibility of their generation to unleash the new ore as possibly the greatest, cleanest energy source the world had ever known.

 

He crossed the deck and sank heavily in his desk chair, sighing as he released the heavy burden of his previous thoughts and reached for his desk drawer, pulling out his Lab Journal and opening the notebook to the section where he’d been working on the mathematical formula for dampening rods under critical conditions.  A tight-lipped smile formed on his face as he began his narration, adding today’s events into the book and finding the whole process extremely satisfying.  He took comfort in the data he could now add to his hypothesis and reveled in the discovery.  Of course, not every technician could calculate the complicated mathematics in their head as he did; he would need to develop a computer logarithm to monitor the Reactor and calculate automatically. 

 

Yes, a computer logarithm.  That’s the next step, he decided silently while making the notation in his notes; burying himself in his work, and finding the peace he needed in the exhilarating discovery that could potentially save hundreds aboard a nuclear submarine, thousands aboard nuclear powered air craft carriers, and even hundreds of thousands surrounding land-based nuclear power plants.

 

This is what drove Harriman Nelson; not his ego or a new scientific experiment proven true, but the opportunity for the betterment of mankind. 

 

* * * * *

 

A distant noise penetrated Lee’s sleep.  It was a familiar sound, soft yet distinct; the sound of a chair quietly being pulled closer to his bunk.  Though he was half-asleep, his brain registered that he had a visitor and pulled himself from his slumber, turning his head to see Chip settling in next to him.

 

“Hey Chip,” he greeted, feeling a bit too groggy for his liking.

 

“Hey Lee,” Chip replied with a small smile at seeing his recovering friend.  “How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m all right, pretty tired actually,” he amended honestly.

 

“Yeah, Jamie tells me that you’ll be his guest here for a few days.”

 

“I guess so,” he replied, having already discovered that he was extremely weak and needed help to the head without keeling over.  He knew that was one hurdle he’d have to overcome before even beginning to plot his escape from Sickbay.  “How’s it going up there?”

 

“Damage Control has everything shipshape, and the Admiral has the Reactor purring like a kitten.  We’ve been off the bottom and moving towards Pearl for several hours now.  Sonar and Hydrophones are on their game; so far, the scopes are clear.  The Admiral ordered radio silence and we’ve only got one crewman laid up in Sickbay,” Chip reported efficiently, smiling on his last statement while making an obvious reference to Seaview’s captain.

 

Lee chuckled, appreciating Chip’s humor then sighed, as the burden of command didn’t rest just because the Boat’s captain was flat on his back.

 

“I’ve got the sneaking suspicion that we were bushwhacked because of Dr. Land’s experiment.”

 

Chip nodded and dipped his head.  “The Admiral does too,” he affirmed.

 

Lee blew a breath out and focused on the top rack above him for a few seconds.  “I don’t know Chip; I just can’t help but feel that the ore should be left where it is.  Maybe it’s at the bottom of the sea for a reason,” he postulated.  “Out of reach,” he finished with a sigh.

 

“But it’s not out of reach, Lee,” Chip corrected.  “You know as well as I do that if Dr. Land’s calculations hold true, that we’re not the only sub that can dive that far,” he said, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders.  “This just doesn’t sound like you, Lee.”

 

“I know, Chip,” Lee conceded wearily with a slight shake of his head.  “I don’t know how to explain this… feeling,” he admitted.  “The opportunities for a new clean energy source should be enough to convince me, but I just can’t overlook the dangers of possible misuse.  We could be helping to power the world into the next century… or setting it up for devastation if the power source is used by the wrong power-hungry people.” 

 

Chip’s eyes narrowed, not accustomed to seeing Lee this pessimistic. 

 

“I don’t know, Chip… I’m aware that the discussion is out of our hands.  And you’re right… and so is the Admiral; we’re not the only sub capable of harvesting the ore.  This is the next step to Land’s experiment… I just wished I felt better about it.”

 

Lee reached up and rubbed a tired hand across his forehead, prompting Chip to reach over and pat his shoulder as he stood. 

 

“You’re exhausted, Lee.  Get some rest, I’ll keep you in the loop,” he promised.

 

“Thanks Chip.  I promise to be better company the next time you come to visit.”

 

“No problem, Lee,” Chip said with a nod of understanding, before heading to the door.

 

Lee stared at the overhead bunk for a few moments before releasing a sigh.  Chip was right, this wasn’t like him.  Sure, he was the captain and had to fight for Seaview’s safety from time to time, but this wasn’t the same thing.  Seaview was as much a military vessel as a research vessel and he was no stranger to peril on the high seas.  He’d been in close battles before, so he wasn’t balking at the danger.  He was also aware that many of man’s greatest achievements in the modern age were laced with danger as each new frontier was discovered and explored.  It was something more… it was… a feeling he couldn’t shake. 

 

He blew out a disgusted breath, knowing full well that as a soldier he didn’t have to like his orders to obey them.  And he still hadn’t come up with a real and valid reason why he felt this way to begin with; the whole silent discussion wore him down, so he let it all go and closed his eyes. 

 

Perhaps things will look differently in the morning, he reasoned, wondering if his weakened physical state was exasperating the situation and affecting his thinking.  He decided to leave it until he was feeling better, and it wasn’t long before he fell into a deep sleep, welcoming the reprieve and the rest he needed to recover.

 

* * * * *

 

Chip paused at the Sickbay door and glanced back at Lee.  He wasn’t sure why Lee was so against harvesting the new ore when it was apparent that the new element was already on the bad guys’ radar.  Nonetheless, he had served with Lee too long to ignore his “sixth sense” of danger.  Seaview had weathered many trials in the past successfully, and sometimes solely because of its Captain’s ability to sense danger.  He left determined to be even more vigilant as Seaview made her way to Pearl Harbor.

 

Chapter Three

 

Lee stood in Seaview’s nose savoring a steaming hot cup of coffee and wearing his service issued olive green wool sweater over his khaki uniform, still finding himself easily chilled even three days after his cold water experience.  He was currently sidelined from duty, the effects of hypothermia not so easily shaken off when taken to the brink of internal organ damage, had he been rescued even a few minutes later.  His body demanded rest, something he had been forced to agree with, but Jamie was pleased enough with his recovery to discharge him to his own cabin last evening. 

 

His appearance in the Control Room was welcomed by the crew, he had walked the deck, checking the stations and conversing with crewmen before heading to the Nose since he wasn’t cleared for duty.  Still, he was satisfied to watch from Seaview’s windows as Chip efficiently piloted the large submarine into her berth.  It was a matter of pride for him that his crew was cross-trained and that he had several officers, even beyond the command crew, capable of conducting the tricky maneuver. 

 

Lee swallowed the last of the lukewarm coffee from his mug and reached for the carafe just as he heard the sounds of descent from the spiral staircase behind him.  He turned to see Admiral Nelson in his service dress khakis, complete with jacket, service ribbons, and service cap in hand.

 

“Hello Admiral,” Lee greeted with a friendly smile.

 

“Hello Lee, it’s nice to see you up and about,” Harry replied, tossing his service cap on the conference table.

 

“Thanks, it’s good to be here,” he replied honestly.

 

“Are you still up for dinner at the Blue Lagoon?” Harry asked, adjusting the folders in his briefcase as he spoke.

 

“Sounds good,” Lee replied with a chuckle.  “I’m pretty sure that the only reason Jamie didn’t give me the all-clear this morning was to make sure I wasn’t on the Bridge when we docked.” 

 

Harry nodded in agreement; even though Jamie had sworn that he needed time to evaluate Lee’s latest tests this morning, they were both sure they knew the doctor’s true intent in delaying his release to duty.  Lee had fought it vehemently, challenging Seaview’s Chief Medical Officer facetiously that he knew his limitations and that he wasn’t planning on skin diving while in port; but his harrowing experience was only three days old and Jamie wasn’t taking any chances.  His release to duty would have still been restricted, so it was a good bet that his over-protective boat’s doctor was attempting to milk out as much rest for his captain as possible.

 

“Very well, I’d better head on out; Dr. Land flew in just for this meeting.”

 

Lee’s polite smile faded as he watched Harry take the ladder up to the vertical hatch and sighed deeply.  He only wished he could put a finger on why Dr. Land’s experiment bothered him so much, especially when it was the next logical and reasonable step.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry left the boat finding an open air jeep waiting for him.  He settled in with a nod to his driver, and sat back for the ride to the base building housing the meeting between Land, himself, and four other participants, all sent from Washington to discuss Zycron 143.  As they drove, he effectively hid his concern for another matter.

 

He wasn’t unaware of Lee’s reticence concerning Land’s experiment, and frankly, he was a bit puzzled.  Lee wasn’t one to shy away from the unexplored, especially when the benefits of the experiment could bring about such a break-through in energy. 

 

The ore was theoretical at this point, but Land’s research was extraordinary.  His mathematics and scientific method were flawless, and if he was right, a new element would be added to the periodic table.  That thought alone drove Harry’s curiosity as his genius mind calculated just what they could learn about the universe from a sample.  Of course, that was the next step, obtaining a sample. 

 

Land had made his discovery quite serendipitously, utilizing sub-marine geothermal technology.  Upon identifying the various known elements in the colorful readout, he was perplexed with a reading he couldn’t identify.  Through months of research and painstakingly slow calculations, he came to the conclusion that a new discovery of a previously unknown ore had been discovered.

 

Harry had found the whole process to be extraordinarily exciting and was only too happy to participate not only serving as a technical liaison, but also in the physical retrieval of the ore.

 

“Here you go, Admiral Nelson,” the young officer reported, interrupting Harry’s thoughts as they pulled up in front of a building.  The driver parked along the curb, then hurried around to Harry’s side.  “I’m available to escort you to the conference room, Sir,” he added.

 

“Fine, Ensign; lead the way,” Harry replied taking the steps up to the covered porch and completely unaware of the two unauthorized sets of eyes watching from afar and taking note of his arrival.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry listened intently, his curiosity piqued and evident in the twinkle of his eyes to anyone who knew him well.  His blue eyes sharpened as he studied the well-organized charts and graphs, drinking in the information while simultaneously forming his own informed opinion.  He was impressed.  Land had certainly done his homework; his presentation was flawless and his evidence more than compelling to recommend the retrieval of the ore.

 

“And what do you say, Admiral Nelson?” General Price asked, leaning back in his chair now that the formal presentation was complete and seeking the military liaison’s opinion.

 

Harry leaned forward, his hands folded in front of him as he spoke, “The evidence for a new element is compelling, the next step is obvious; retrieve a sample and test the ore to determine if Dr. Land’s research proves true,” he stated matter-of-factly.  “Based on the current data,” he continued, “I agree with Dr. Land’s conclusions that we may be looking at a new fissile energy source.  Its benefits to our nuclear program can only be assumed until a sample is obtained.”

 

“Very well, Admiral Nelson, and what is your assessment Captain Ramirez?”

 

Captain Ramirez took in a decidedly deep breath.  His expertise had nothing to do with nuclear fission or underwater retrieval; he was the officer in charge of security.  The buzz-cut, brown-haired Security Officer was a Navy Seal in his fifties with deep lines on his face, especially when he was scrutinizing a security issue, as he was now.  His chocolate brown eyes tightened as he released the breath he was intentionally holding and spoke in a low voice that matched his broad shoulders and warrior bearing.

 

“Security has been tightened around Dr. Land since he’s the only person with knowledge of the exact coordinates…”

 

“They haven’t been finalized,” Dr. Land interjected, to which Captain Ramirez raised an appeasing hand.

 

“I understand, and frankly, I’d like to keep it that way.  I suggest that the coordinates not be revealed to even Admiral Nelson and Captain Crane until after the operation is underway and the Seaview is out to sea.  That might just give us the advantage we need to avoid an ambush like the one Seaview just sailed into,” he replied, demonstrating the fact that he had already been briefed concerning the surprise attack that nearly sent the windowed submarine to her doom, as Dr. Land’s eyes widened in surprise, having not heard of the incident until now.

 

General Price nodded towards Harry.  “I think you’d better fill the panel in, Harriman.”

 

The intensity in Harry’s eyes sharpened, though his demeanor never changed as he reported dutifully.

 

“Seaview was attacked in an unprovoked confrontation just three days ago.  Our voyage was purely scientific and the submarine in question didn’t match any known profiles in our database.  We were sent to the bottom and the only reason we weren’t blown out of the water is directly credited to Seaview’s captain and his able handling of the boat.  We dispatched the ‘enemy’ sub, with a loss of all hands,” he added without emotion.

 

“And your conclusion of the attack?” Price probed, tapping the eraser end of his pencil on the tablet in front of him.

 

“I’m convinced that the attack is related to this project, which means that the discovery is already on some very powerful people’s radar.” 

 

Harry’s statement hung in the air with several panel members exchanging glances, before the general broke the silence with his next question.

 

“And what of Captain Crane?  I understand he was injured?” General Price inquired.  “We were counting on him being at the helm.”

 

Harry nodded in reassurance.  “Captain Crane is recovering and will be completely able to participate in retrieving the sample.  Assuming of course, that we’re still on schedule to shove off in three weeks,” he qualified.

 

All five sets of eyes turned toward Dr. Land and were met by his affirming nod.  “Yes, the calculations will be ready by then and I’m anxious to proceed with the research.”

 

“As are we,” General Price assured.  “Captain Ramirez, do you have any more concerns?”

 

The Security Officer nodded, still having a few concerns to clarify.

 

“I understand security at NIMR has already been cleared,” Ramirez stated rather than asked.

 

“Seaview is a United States Naval Reserve Vessel, Captain; our security meets and exceeds all security protocols of any military base,” Harry assured as Ramirez checked the question off his list on the pad in front of him.

 

“And I understand that both you and Captain Crane have a strong association with ONI?” he continued, to Harry’s affirmative nod.  “Do you require additional security from my team?”

 

“Additional security would be redundant,” the Admiral replied matter-of-factly. 

 

“I thought as much,” Ramirez added with pursed lips.  “Very well, Sir.”

 

“Now that that’s settled, let’s move on to logistics,” General Price urged, as the Top Secret briefing continued behind closed doors on the secured base.

 

* * * * *

 

“How long have they been going at it?” the impatient man asked, momentarily dropping his high-powered binoculars to rub his eyes.

 

“A little over two hours,” his partner Ferguson replied, both men lying on their stomachs and peering down from their vantage point high above from the hilltop overlooking the base. 

 

During that two hour period, they had watched the front door, ignoring non-players in the game and taking note of anyone that might be participating in the secret meeting inside.  They were well-briefed with the key participants, recognizing them immediately when they emerged one by one, some forty-five minutes later.

 

“Get the camera ready, here they come,” Ferguson said as his partner adjusted the extra-long zoom-in lens to snap off photos of General Price and his aide, Captain Ramirez, Dr. Land, Admiral Nelson and several other big brass; currently unidentified, but suspected of being highly involved in the meeting.

 

“Got ‘em,” Taper replied as sounds of clicks and film advancing automatically filled the air around them.  They were far enough away to conduct their covert surveillance stealthily and worked unfettered, until Captain Ramirez turned sharply their direction.

 

“Fall back.  I think he spotted a glint from the glasses,” Ferguson ordered as they scooted further under the bushes.

 

“Let’s get out of here,” Taper replied, over his shoulder after catching Ramirez point an accusing finger to the hillside above.

 

The two men retreated hastily, not noticing when one of the lens caps dropped from its case and rolled under a bush.

 

* * * * *

 

Captain Ramirez followed behind General Price; walking directly to the Lieutenant he left in charge of the detail while he was involved in the meeting.  They conversed as the panel participants were escorted to waiting cars, which were one by one pulling from the curb.  He was walking toward his jeep when a glint of magnified light reflected off the chrome encasing a headlight on the vehicle behind his.  Instinctively, he looked up to catch a glint from the hillside.

 

“Glass reflecting from the hillside,” he announced to his security team, pointing out the source and then turning toward the last car with two of his security charges.

 

“Get them secured.  Now!” he ordered their drivers, before hurrying to the radio in his jeep and grabbing for the mic.  “This is Capt. Ramirez, possible security breach in Sector Three.”  That was all he needed to put a full investigation into gear as he continued to scan the hillside.  No more errant glints were spotted, but he was sure that their meeting hadn’t gone unnoticed.

 

* * * * *

 

The evening air was a pleasant 69 degrees Fahrenheit, with a gentle breeze blowing off the ocean to cool the air a few degrees more, and making Lee’s required service jacket a comfortable fit even on the tropical island. 

 

He had been anxious to get off the Boat, mostly because three days in Sickbay had left him feeling very cooped up and confined.  Indeed, as his strength returned, his need for an off-boat excursion became more of a necessity than a leisurely desire.  Chip must have sensed it too, offering to take the first watch while in port and citing the need to be available to ream the six of whichever unfortunate Seaview rating who found himself detained in the brig and in need of a bail-out. 

 

Though not always the rule, he and Chip often gave the junior officers first crack at liberty for the sake of morale, so his offer wasn’t unusual.  Still, he knew Chip was reading the situation well, and in his usual unobtrusive way, had made sure Lee had no excuse for not enjoying the night out.

 

Harry had spent the day on the Base, and the two were meeting at the Blue Lagoon at 1900 hours.  With his service cap squared, the 6’1” dark-haired officer presented an impressive view worthy of a naval recruitment poster as he chose to walk to the restaurant, instead of taking a cab.  The stroll had done its job, and by the time he’d reached the awning of the five-star restaurant he was completely relaxed.

 

“Commander Crane,” he said, greeting the tuxedo donned maître d, “I’m here to meet Admiral Nelson.”

 

“Ah yes, Commander.  This way please,” he replied, tucking a menu under his arm and guiding Lee through a maze of tables dressed in elegant white tablecloths.  The restaurant was a favorite among officers, with the patrons being a mix of naval personnel and tourists dressed in their finest for the elegant establishment’s well-known cuisine. 

 

“Hello Lee,” Harry greeted casually.

 

“Good evening, Admiral,” Lee replied, tucking his service cap on the unused chair beside him as the maître d waved over the cocktail waitress.

 

“A drink, Commander?” the waitress asked, obviously well-versed in military ranks and insignias and adding a special smile for the handsome officer.

 

“Scotch,” Lee replied, eying Harry’s choice and ordering the same.

 

“Well, it looks like the tropical air agrees with you,” the Admiral noted, glad to see Lee looking so well.

 

“Aye Sir, I walked from the Boat; it felt great.”

 

“Just remember not to overdo it,” Harry admonished lightly.

 

“No Sir, it was leisurely stroll,” Lee assured, as the two dropped the subject and engaged in casual conversation.  There was no discussion about the Top Secret meeting Harry had participated in; that would be saved for the privacy of Seaview, as the two men left the stress and danger of their last voyage behind to relax and enjoy a fine meal among friends.

 

* * * * *

 

“What should we hit first?” an excited Stu Riley asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

 

“Hold your horses, Kid,” Kowalski replied calmly in an attempt to appear cool and sophisticated, but inside he was just as ready as his young surfer friend to sow his own oats.  “There’s the Parrot’s Hideout,” he said, turning to Patterson, the third person in their party. “The Kai Wahi Inu Lama,” Ski continued, ticking off each bar with a finger, “The Rusted Anchor…”

 

“The Rusted Anchor has good food,” Pat chimed in, looking for some tame fun since he was a married man, and besides, there were some nice shops along the way that he planned on hitting before returning to the boat.  He had his mind on something small and slinky for his wife and he wouldn’t dream of coming home without something special for his two children.

 

“Yeah, and the music’s good,” Riley added, miming out a dance to music only he could hear.

 

“Sure!  Good food, good music, and lots of Chicks,” Ski replied, running an appraising hand across his spiky rabbit’s ridge to test its tenacity.  “Well, what are we waiting for?” he asked excitedly as the three set off for a night on the town.

 

They walked excitedly toward the secure Base gates, and like most seamen in port, didn’t bother to call for a cab, choosing to save their money for the night on the town, and saving the cab fare for their ride home, when they would likely need it most. 

 

The three young men, all dressed in sailor dungarees instead of their boat overalls, walked along jovially with anticipation of their night off the boat.  Not a one was aware of the two men who were snapping off pictures from their parked car across the road.

 

* * * * *

 

The evening had been a pleasant one with conversation running the gamut of non-classified Boat business to a discussion of the Boston Red Sox and their chances of making it to the World Series this year, both coming to the conclusion that this wasn’t going to be their year.

 

Harry raised his after-dinner drink to his lips and caught the stare of a woman, her eyes decisively upon Seaview’s captain.  He threw back a swallow and then casually drew Lee’s attention her way.

 

“Don’t look now, but I think you’re being noticed,” Harry teased with a small tilt of his head her direction.

 

A curious Lee glanced over, catching the beautiful woman in her purposeful stare; her dark hair was pulled back in an elegant bun on her head, baring her neck and shoulders.  He offered a polite half-smile to the shapely woman whose slit on her long red sequined gown extended above her knee, her purposefully extended leg subsequently providing a tantalizing view.  She held a drink to her red lips, her coordinating red polished fingernails accentuating the amber liquid, as she lowered her glass and bit her bottom lip. 

 

Lee suppressed a clearing of the throat and quickly noticed that the empty place sitting across from her sported a half-consumed after-dinner drink as well, though the chair was currently empty.  Her attention immediately faded as her dinner companion returned to his chair, reaching over and taking her dainty hand in his across the table.  She laughed at his apparent wit as Lee avoided an obvious roll of the eyes and turned his attention back to his own table.  He wasn’t the least bit impressed with a woman who would flirt with a man while in the company of another date.

 

Harry chuckled, having spotted the entire exchange himself and avoided commenting, but the twinkle in his eyes gave away his humor.  Lee chuckled as well, not allowing the uncomfortable scene to ruin their evening. 

 

Each man pulled out their wallets having gone Dutch, paid their bills and left.  He had to unavoidably pass her table as they headed to the exit and, of course, avoided any further eye contact.  He was only a few steps from the table when she whispered something to her date, her muted voice almost causing him to stop in his tracks.  He proceeded forward until he reached the belted curtain separating the dining room from the foyer and stopped for a discreet glance back. 

 

There was something familiar about her voice, but he couldn’t place it.  It was only a whisper, and hardly recognizable, but something told him that he knew her.  He lingered a moment too long, as she caught his eyes once again, and with her companion’s back to Lee and his attention on his wallet as he dealt with the dinner check, she used the opportunity to express her interest once more, biting her bottom lip and sending “come hither” eyes his direction.

 

Lee turned his back on her immediately, chastising himself for allowing his scrutinizing gaze to be caught and left, following Harry out the door, while filing the strange encounter to the back of his mind… at least until he could place her voice.

 

Outside the restaurant, Harry lit a cigarette and gave his ticket to the valet, the two officers engaging in light conversation as they waited under the awning for the car. 

 

From across the parking lot, two men in a dark sedan photographed the unsuspecting officers, firing off as many pictures as they could before the two slid into the car and drove away.

 

Chapter Four

 

“Well, what’s the verdict?” Lee asked as Seaview’s doctor finished listening to his heart, then pulled the stethoscope from his ears and stuffed it in his pocket.  He seemingly ignored Lee’s question as he reached for his wrist and took his pulse, before stepping back and offering a smile.

 

“Fit as a fiddle, Skipper,” he announced, before hastily adding a caution, “but that doesn’t mean I’m releasing you to full duty yet.”  Lee’s brow tightened in response.  “Just a few more days, Lee.  If you’re honest with yourself, you know that you’re still weak.”

 

Lee sighed, relenting graciously to the truth of the matter.  “That’s all right, Jamie.  As long as I’m on the bridge when we shove off,” he bargained to the doctor’s affirming nod.

 

“No restrictions on ladders or stairs, I just don’t want you putting in your regular fourteen hour days,” the doctor qualified.  “Just take it easy for a few more days; you’ll be up to full steam soon.”

 

“All right, a few days more,” Lee agreed, buttoning his shirt and inwardly pleased that he hadn’t been benched for Seaview’s departure.  Anything further he might have said was interrupted by the Boat com system.

 

“Captain Crane, this is Nelson.”

 

Lee pushed off the exam table and headed straight for the mic hanging on the wall.

 

“This is Crane, go ahead Admiral.”

 

“Report to my cabin as soon as possible.”

 

“Aye Sir, I’ll be right there,” Lee replied, shipping the mic and finishing the last button near his collar.  He headed to the door, stopping with one hand on the handle and turning back toward Seaview’s doctor.  “Two more days, Jamie,” he stated, clarifying their deal and just what a “few” days actually meant.

 

“Aye Sir, two more days,” Jamie replied, even though he would have liked to have negotiated for three; but he was pleased with both Lee’s progress and his willingness to work with him in the matter, and counted the latest bargaining session with Lee Crane a success. 

 

Lee nodded, adding his own satisfied grin before leaving Sickbay and heading to Officer’s Country.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee knocked on the Admiral’s cabin door and was greeted immediately with an invitation to enter.

 

“You wanted to see me, Sir,” he said, entering to find that Harry had a visitor as the two officers stood in greeting.

 

“Come in, Lee.  This is Capt. Ramirez, in charge of Security for Land’s project,” Harry introduced.

 

Lee shut the door behind him and crossed the deck reaching for Ramirez’s extended hand for a shake.

 

“Good to meet you, Captain Crane,” Ramirez greeted, respectfully using Lee’s title aboard Seaview, rather than his rank, which was a grade below his.  “I’ve heard good things about you,” he added as they broke the shake.

 

“Thank you, Sir.”

 

“Have a seat, Lee,” Harry invited, gesturing both men to their chairs.  “Capt. Ramirez requested this meeting to brief us on a probable security incident,” the Admiral explained as Lee’s eyebrows tightened with instant concern.

 

“Yesterday, after you left the meeting, Admiral Nelson, I spotted what appeared to be a glint of glass from the hillside.  We secured the scene and the remaining panel participants and called in an immediate investigation.  My men scoured the hillside; the chain link perimeter fence had been cut, there was evidence of at least two perpetrators, and we found this,” he said, producing a rubber black cap and placing it on the desk in front of him.

 

Harry sat back with his hands folded in front of him as Lee reached for the cap.

 

“Prints?” Lee asked, knowing that Ramirez had plenty of time to conduct the necessary forensics on the evidence, and since the Captain had handled the cap without gloves, assumed he could do the same.

 

“None, they apparently wore gloves.”

 

Lee turned the cap in his fingers, making a quick assessment born out of his own experience in the ONI field.

 

“High powered binocular lens cover,” he stated, recognizing the brand before setting the cap down again on the desk.

 

“Yes, and its condition was just as you see it now,” Ramirez added, referring to the pristine condition of the cap, and negating the argument that it had been lost some time ago.  “I’m certain it was used in a surveillance targeting the panel members,” he finished solemnly.

 

Lee blew a breath with an accompanying shake of the head.  “Any leads on suspects?” he asked, while silently deciding that Dr. Land’s experiment was shaping up to be a can of worms that would require extra assiduity.

 

“No,” Ramirez admitted.  “We have the usual suspects in mind regarding countries with the assets to interfere at this level, but no evidence to implicate anyone.  This is just a heads up that someone is very interested in the outcome of the project, but I guess you already know that,” he said making purposeful eye contact with both men and referring to their near disastrous run-in with the unidentified submarine.

 

Harry sighed audibly, pursing his bottom lip before leaning forward in his chair.  “What’s your next move, Captain?”

 

Ramirez picked up the lens cap and returned it to a plastic evidence bag as he spoke.  “I intend to plug any holes in security until the mission is complete,” he replied, going all business.  “I’ve got an entire team on Dr. Land and a body guard for each of the panel members, which is why I’m here, Admiral Nelson.”

 

“Go on,” Harry urged calmly.

 

“I’d like to assign a body guard to you…”

 

“Hardly necessary, Captain, I’ll put my own security on it.  They’re men I trust,” Harry answered coolly, but firmly.

 

The lines on Ramirez’ face sharpened until he released his own sigh and nodded.  “I figured as much, but I can’t stress enough the need for diligence, Admiral.”

 

“You can be assured that I take this news very seriously, Captain,” Lee interjected, the set of his jaw testifying to his own determination in the matter.

 

Ramirez studied Lee’s eyes before answering.  “Thank you, Captain Crane, I understand that both you and Admiral Nelson are fully capable of pulling off the high security required for the mission,” he complimented, assuring Seaview’s officers that he had complete trust in their abilities, something Lee appreciated.

 

“Well now, it’s safe to assume that whoever was observing the panel is searching for a weak point to get to the information that only Dr. Land has at present,” Harry interjected, moving the briefing on from his personal safety to the general project.

 

“I would say that’s a fair assumption,” Ramirez agreed. 

 

“The coordinates to the ore,” Lee added, purposely stating the obvious as both Harry and Ramirez nodded in agreement. 

 

“Yes, it’s clear that whoever we’re up against wasn’t deterred one bit by the loss of their submarine,” the security officer commented. 

 

“The whole reason Seaview was targeted was because of our deep depth capabilities in the recovery operations, combined with the fact that we have divers qualified for the tri-mix,” Harry postulated, “and since their interest has continued, we can assume that they still have the ability to make a recovery, even with the loss of their vessel.”

 

“Which means they have more than one asset available to them,” Ramirez joined in as their impromptu brainstorming session gained momentum.

 

“Then there is a high likelihood of another attempt to destroy Seaview,” Lee added solemnly, which was followed by a short silence as the three officers contemplated the seriousness of his words.

 

“Which is why, Gentlemen, we must get to the Zycron 143 first,” Harry stated passionately.  “If they’ve gone to such lengths to stop us, there’s no telling what they’re capable of.”

 

“I couldn’t have said it better myself, Admiral,” Capt. Ramirez said standing.  “Then I can count on you two to tighten security around both Seaview and yourselves,” he stated rather than asked.

 

“Of course, Captain,” Harry said, standing as well.

 

“Thank you, Sir,” he replied respectfully as Lee led him to the door.

 

“I’ll escort you out, Captain,” Lee offered as Ramirez picked up his service cap, tucking it under his arm.

 

“We’re going to be working together closely for the next few weeks, Lee.  My name is Mateo,” he said offering his first name to the junior officer.

 

“Thanks, Mateo,” Lee replied.

 

“Admiral,” Ramirez offered in parting.

 

“Mateo,” Harry returned with a nod, satisfied with the dedication of the Security Officer’s attentiveness to detail concerning the important mission.

 

Mateo followed Lee out into the corridor, stopping him before taking too many steps.

 

“Don’t count yourself out of the danger, Lee, just because you’re not officially on the Panel,” Mateo cautioned.  “Everyone knows that you’re as much a pivotal key to the success of the ore retrieval as the Panel members.”

 

Lee returned Mateo’s concerned gaze with intense eyes and a set jaw.

 

“Don’t worry, Mateo, I plan on watching both my back… and his,” he said with a tilt of the head to Admiral Nelson’s cabin door.

 

Mateo nodded his understanding and approval before the two officers continued to the spiral staircase.

 

* * * * *

 

A feminine hand with manicured red finger nails tapped out an impatient cadence on the desk before her as she looked over a stack of photos in front of her.  Two photos had already been separated from the rest of the pile while she pondered over her choices of dozens of Seaview crewmen, taken without their knowledge during Seaview’s first night in Pearl.  She made a second pile, tossing a seaman’s photo as a definite possibility.

 

“And this one?” she inquired.

 

“Kowalski; a motorcycle enthusiast, impulsive with tendencies of recklessness, yet surprisingly loyal and able,” the spy informed, “and a known womanizer,” he added, attempting to expose any weakness they could exploit.

 

She nodded and picked up the next photo.  “And this one?”

 

“Patterson; a photography buff, level-headed, often the voice of reason for his friends.  He settled down considerably once he got married, and has access to all critical areas of the sub.”

 

She tossed it aside and picked up the next one, running her finger nail over the profile on the photo.

 

“And him?”

 

“Riley; a surfing bum turned seaman, impulsive and a skirt chaser, but surprisingly level-headed for his age, also a pilot for the flying sub.”

 

“I like him,” she stated without emotion, “he’s so innocent looking… a real red-herring in the making,” she added with a chuckle. 

 

She picked up the next photo, raising an approving eyebrow at the blond-haired, blue-eyed officer.  “Hmmm, Lt. Commander Charles Morton,” she recited from memory, “known by his friends as ‘Chip’.”

 

“Yes, married, an able officer, no vices to exploit…”

 

“A real All-American boy?” she mocked, interrupting his report with an appraising raised eyebrow.  “He might be fun just for the challenge,” she announced, picking up the photos she had set aside of Nelson and Crane and fanning the photos in her hand to see all three men in one viewing.  “Seaview’s Command Team,” she purred almost to herself, before singling one out and placing it on the desk before her.  “But I think he’s the key,” she said as her spy nodded approvingly. 

 

She placed the photos of Crane and Morton down almost tenderly, as if she had other plans for them and honed in on the auburn-haired officer.

 

“Yes… Nelson,” she decided, tapping her finger nails on the desk once again as she smiled, pleased with her plans for the unsuspecting admiral.

 

* * * * *

 

The early morning breeze was invigorating as Lee stood on the bridge, piloting the great grey submarine from her berth as the tugs set her adrift and he steered the mighty vessel to the open seas.  He lingered on the conning tower a moment taking in the satisfying moment of commanding such a vessel, before handing off his glasses to the junior officer at this side.

 

“Secure the special sea detail, Mr. Campbell.”

 

“Aye, aye, Sir,” he replied crisply as Lee gazed one last time at Pearl, his mind far from whimsical thoughts and very much focused on Mateo Ramirez’ visit.  The security officer had confirmed what he had thought for some time, that the potential to exploit Zycron 143 for evil was just as great as the ore’s promise for clean energy.  Seaview had nearly been destroyed because of someone’s desire to keep the ore for themselves; the Panel was under some unknown power’s scrutiny; and all for an ore that no one could prove even existed beyond its geothermal heat signature, much less the actual properties of the mineral itself.  

 

Lee sighed inwardly.  He understood that the ore was going to be retrieved, whether by those dedicated to using it for the advancement or the subjugation of man.  It was a race… a dangerous race to see who would get there first; and once again Seaview and her crew would find herself right in the middle of the fray.

 

He squared his shoulders never one to back away from either his duty or the danger it brought, and set a determined jaw to his resolve to keep Harry safe… indeed the entire crew of Seaview would be counting on him to bring them all home.

 

“Special Sea Detail secured, Sir,” the young lieutenant reported.

 

“Very well, secure the watch,” he replied, reaching for the mic.  “Prepare to dive, Mr. Morton,” he ordered, before shipping the mic in its watertight compartment and preceding the junior officer down the ladder.

 

Chapter Five

 

The voyage home had been an uneventful one, with extra days in port to see to Seaview’s repairs giving the crew a much needed opportunity for R & R while in Pearl.  The four day cruise home had afforded Lee the opportunity to brief NIMR’s Chief of Security via video phone, and together they had devised a viable plan to tighten security at the Institute in general and Seaview in particular. 

 

Just as important, was the plan to keep Admiral Nelson safe; to that end, a rotation of bodyguards had been assigned to keep watch 24/7.  The Admiral had insisted on his privacy while at home, but a detail of guards had been assigned to watch from outside his home, and a security sweep was conducted each evening before the Admiral arrived home.

 

Harry, for his part, had relented to the necessary security; while his years as an able ONI Operative had well-afforded him the ability to defend himself, he understood the benefit of having someone watch his back for such an important mission as this one.  He was also well aware that Lee Crane had taken it upon himself to personally provide that protection.  Harry had accepted his dinner invitation, the second one in as many weeks, knowing full-well that Lee was keeping a watchful eye on him. 

 

He smiled, shaking his head in resigned amusement, as he stuffed the last folder into his briefcase to take home with him; he had accepted a long time ago Lee’s need to act as an unofficial bodyguard.  It was a testimony of their friendship that he allowed his young captain to fuss over his security from time to time, and he was well aware that he had occasionally crossed over the line in his own need to keep Lee safe as well. 

 

His smile grew.  They were two peas in a pod; each one trying to keep the other safe; each one fully aware that they both had lengthy careers at ONI because of their self-defense skills.  He snapped the clasps down, securing his papers safely inside his briefcase and headed toward the door.  Angie had left the office just a few minutes ago as he entered the darkened outer office, and turned to lock the door behind him.

 

He was relaxed, despite the fact that Land’s project was only one week away, and decided that this next week would be a very busy one; he’d might as well enjoy the leisurely dinner with his over-protective friend before everything ramped into full gear.

 

He headed for the elevator, stopping and waiting for the car as Lee and Chip approached, walking side by side and converging upon the elevator at the same time.

 

“Going down, Gentlemen?” Harry joked, as they were on the top floor of the four floor building.  A soft flow of laughter followed as the men who worked so closely together, were just as comfortable operating outside the workplace as friends, even though he was their superior officer.

 

* * * * *

 

The sight of Seaview’s command team as they descended NIMR’s steps was an impressive one.  The officers were sharp in their service khakis, complete with service caps and ribbons as the tall dark-haired captain was flanked by the auburn-haired admiral on the left and the tall blond executive officer on the right.  Once at the bottom of the stairs, they parted ways as Chip headed for his car.

 

“Enjoy your weekend,” Lee offered as Chip waved, intending to do just that as he and Monica had plans for the weekend, starting with an intimate candle lit dinner tonight.

 

“McClintocks?” Harry asked, referring to their dinner arrangements for the evening. 

 

“Sure, steak sounds good,” Lee replied amicably as the two bachelors finalized their plans. 

 

McClintocks was a popular steakhouse and there was sure to be a wait on a Friday evening, but the lounge featured a live band that would keep them entertained, and it would feel good to dress casually for the evening, rather than suits and ties for the more formal Italian restaurant, Giavanni’s. 

 

“Give me about an hour,” Harry suggested with a quick look at his watch, calculating that it wouldn’t take long to change and still have time to deal with his answering machine and prioritize his mail.

 

“An hour it is,” Lee repeated, rounding his Cobra and dropping his briefcase into the front seat. 

 

Harry climbed into his silver Lincoln Continental and smiled tightly as Lee zipped out of his parking spot, heading for the front gate.  He sighed in contentment at not only snagging the best sub commander in the Navy, but also at the fact that he and Lee worked so well together.  Several years ago, he had admitted to considering Lee as a brother, but Harry knew that consideration was far more paternal; still it was much more comfortable to define their relationship as best friends.

 

They weren’t without their disagreements, usually when Harry’s need for scientific discovery pushed the safety envelope in his captain’s eyes, but their mutual respect always guided their actions and subsequently, found that as competent as they were individually, they were an even stronger team together.  Their strengths complimented one another’s, and their weaknesses were off-set by the other’s experience and wisdom.  He could analyze it all day long, but what it came down to was the fact that Seaview couldn’t have a better captain, and he was equally sure that he couldn’t have a better friend. 

 

Harry sighed and shook his head.  He wasn’t sure where all this nostalgia was coming from, but he suspected that the upcoming voyage had brought it about.  He knew that Lee was very concerned with both boat security and his own personal security as well.  They had been in contact with Ramirez for weekly security briefings and he had relayed some close calls on several of the panel members, but warned that as the mission neared, that Land and Harry were likely to be primary targets.  Lee had stood by him, despite the fact that he had voiced his concerns about unleashing the new ore’s potential; it was perhaps a philosophical difference in opinion, but it wouldn’t stop Lee from doing either his duty or his job.  That meant a lot to Harry, as did Lee’s determination to protect him, even though he deemed it overkill, especially with the added security he was forced to endure at present. 

 

That was all the time Harry had for introspection; he was a man of action and didn’t enjoy analyzing his feelings often, especially where his best-friend-practically-son was concerned.

 

Harry backed out of his parking spot, his satisfaction neatly hidden beneath his tight-lips sporting a small, barely discernible smile.

 

* * * * *

 

As expected, McClintocks was packed with people ready to start their weekend with a good meal and a bit of fun.  After putting their names on the queue for a table, Harry and Lee headed for the lounge, snagging a table that had just been vacated.  The barmaid was quick to clear the table and wipe it down before taking their orders for their favorite drafts and promising to return shortly.  The lounge was busy, dimly-lit, and noisy; definitely not the place to discuss Boat business or the upcoming Top Secret mission, which was fine with both men. 

 

Harry was currently tapping out a casual beat with his fingers on the table to Charlie Pride’s “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” when the waitress reappeared with their beers.  They raised their tall drafts in a small toast and took a good swallow, just as the band switched to “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” with the lead singer trying awful hard to mimic the distinctive, raspy voice of Willie Nelson. 

 

Lee chuckled, tilting his head toward the band.  “Pretty Country tonight,” he noted, which wasn’t unusual for the cowboy themed restaurant.

 

“I like it,” Harry replied with a thin smile; it wasn’t his first choice of music, but he much preferred it to Rock and Roll; enjoying Easy Listening and Barry Manilow as his next choice after Classical and Jazz.

 

Lee smiled, taking another drink and quickly scanning the lounge for anything out of place.  It was more than an ONI habit, the mission was almost upon them and he agreed with Mateo, this next week would be critical as far as security went.  He placed his nearly empty glass back down on the table and caught Harry’s scrutinizing glare.  He knew he’d been caught and shrugged a shoulder, which Harry interpreted to mean, “So sue me.”  They both chuckled as Lee waved the waitress down for another round.

 

“Excuse me,” a shy, tentative, but most definitely feminine voice interrupted, turning her attention toward Lee.  “My name is Candy, and I was just wondering if you’d… you know, like to dance?” she asked with an innocent shrug of her shoulders.

 

Lee didn’t have a chance to answer one way or the other, before Harry jumped in.

 

“He’d love to, Miss.  You know he’s rather shy and needs some encouraging,” he teased to Lee’s glare and then chuckle.  The young lady giggled as Lee decided to up the ante, having noticed which table she had been sitting at in his previous sweep of the room.

 

“I’m not all that shy,” he said standing and taking her hand, “but my friend here is.  I don’t suppose one of your friends over there would care to help him out,” Lee asked to Harry’s very thin and tight smile, to which his dark-haired friend waggled an eyebrow and mouthed, “You started it.”

 

They both watched as Candy hurried back to their table; a round of giggles exploded as the girls fussed amongst themselves until a rather shapely young lady dressed in her cowgirl best followed Candy back over.

 

Lee and Harry took their new-found dance partners to the dance floor with each promising silent retribution in their eyes, but it was all jestful fun for an enjoyable evening that promised to leave behind the dangers of their chosen profession, at least for the night.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry and Lee said their good byes and went their separate ways at the restaurant parking lot.  They had danced several dances, switching partners to dance with all four ladies who were obviously enjoying a girl’s night out, before thanking their dance partners and heading to the dining room when their table was ready.  The giggles they left behind as they left the lounge indicated that the night had been a grand success as the ladies eyed their next dance partners in the crowded lounge.  The rest of the evening had been filled with casual conversation among friends over a good meal.

 

Lee climbed into his cherry red sports car and unlocked his glove box, pulling out the portable radio and turning it on.

 

“This is Crane, come in Night Watch.” 

 

His call was instantly answered with, first a crackle and then Kowalski’s voice on the other end.

 

“This is Night Watch One, go ahead, Skipper.”

 

“The Admiral is on his way home.  Conduct your security sweep on the inside.”

 

“Aye Sir, Weber is already on it.  Riley and I have secured the perimeter,” Ski replied.

 

“Weber?  What happened to Patterson?” Lee questioned with a furled brow.

 

“He came down with some sort of stomach bug, Weber was next on rotation.”

 

“Very well, Ski.  Notify me if anything out of the ordinary comes up.”

 

“Aye Sir, you can depend on that.”

 

Lee placed the radio on the seat next to him and backed out of his parking spot.  It had been a nice evening, but he was ready to call it a night.

 

* * * * *

 

Ski lowered his radio and waved to Riley from his vantage point… that was the last thing he remembered as his head exploded and everything went instantly black.

 

* * * * *

 

Riley was waving back his A-Okay when he spotted a dark figure behind Kowalski. 

 

“Ski!” he yelled, and took a step toward him when he remembered the Admiral.  He pulled his radio and hailed a desperate call to NIMR Communication.

 

“This is Night Watch Two…” his call went silent when he felt a thud to the back of his head and dropped to the ground.

 

“Not so fast, surfer boy,” the dark clad assailant said before turning toward the house and waiting for the all clear from their inside man. 

 

* * * * *

 

Lee was almost home when he heard a hailing signal from the radio on the seat next to him.

 

“Crane,” he answered, instantly concerned since he wasn’t expecting a report this soon.

 

“Sir, this is Communications Central.”

 

Lee’s brow tightened.  “Go ahead.”

 

“Sir, we’ve just received a hail by Night Watch Two.  Riley was reporting in, when his line went dead.  We haven’t been able to reestablish contact with him,” Ray answered, currently on duty at the NIMR Communication’s station.

 

“Did you phone the Admiral?”

 

“Aye Sir, there’s no answer.”

 

Lee blew breath.   “Alert Security to meet me there.”

 

“Aye Sir.”

 

Lee increased his speed, his calm reply to the call was only a façade to what he was really feeling inside as he stepped on the gas to reach Harry’s house as quickly as possible.

 

* * * * *

 

Riley fought back stars as everything went black. 

 

He didn’t know how long he had lay there, but when he woke the bad guy was still hanging around.  The sound of the automatic garage door closing alerted him to the fact that the Admiral had arrived home.  Slowly he started to rise; with Ski down and no sign of Weber, he might be the Admiral’s last defense.  He took two shaky steps and dove for the unsuspecting bad guy, tackling him and getting in only one good punch before his assailant recovered and rolled on top of Riley, issuing blow after blow in a furious rage.

 

“You want to play, surfer boy?” he taunted, whipping the young blonde’s head back and forth as the initial blow to the back of Riley’s head had severely affected his fighting.

 

Riley grunted under the blows until his body went limp.  The assailant rose, using the back of his hand to wipe away blood from his mouth.  His fury rose once more as he swung back and kicked the unconscious seaman in the ribs with ferocious intent, smiling with satisfaction at the grunt he elicited.

 

He took a deep breath and studied the house again, seeing the signal he had been looking for.  He started for the house, but then stopped in his tracks as the sound of a car squealing around the corner caught his attention.  Quickly he lowered himself into a crouch, and studied the approaching car, assessing the situation and deciding what to do next.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry pulled into his garage and lowered the door behind him with a press of the button, then entered the house whistling a tune he had heard the band playing earlier in the evening, although he couldn’t place the name of the song. 

 

He walked into his study and rounded his desk to check his messages on the answering machine when he heard something behind him and turned sharply toward the door, finding himself staring down the barrel of a .45 automatic.

 

Sweat poured from the young seaman's brow, running down his temples as he pointed the gun at Admiral Harriman Nelson.

 

“Just move to the door, Sir,” he demanded.

 

Harry moved slowly, but stayed behind his mahogany desk, his demeanor cool and in control, even while facing the deadly end of a pistol.

 

“And just where am I supposed to go?” the Admiral asked, buying time and attempting to find the opening he needed to subdue the rating.

 

“Never mind that,” Weber answered, running the back of his hand across his mouth, before applying both hands to hold the handgun steady.  He heard a noise at the front door, but didn’t flinch, obviously expecting someone.  “They’re here now.  Move,” he ordered, using his gun to direct the Admiral in the direction he wanted him to go. 

 

Though he was perspiring profusely, his eyes were determined and Harry realized that he had no choice.

 

“Hands up!” Weber further ordered, “And move slowly to the door.” 

 

Harry could see movement behind Weber as the young seaman talked over his shoulder.  “He’s in here,” he announced to his expected backup just as he was unexpectedly tapped on the shoulder. 

 

Weber turned, surprised at the tap and straight into Lee Crane’s fist as Harry dove for cover when the rogue rating fired off a haphazard shot.  Lee dove for the rating, wearing the familiar blue jumpsuit worn by many Seaview crewmen and attempted to wrestle the gun away.  The dark-haired captain had both experience and skill over the young man, delivering another blow while pinning the gun-clad hand down to the ground.   In the background, the sounds of more security arriving filled the house as Weber’s eyes widened.  He bucked wildly, fighting with his free hand as Lee fought one-handed, then in an instant it was over as the sound of another shot reverberated in the air and Lee felt the rating’s body go limp under his grasp. 

 

Lee stared at the lifeless body beneath him and breathed heavily, realizing that Weber had intentionally turned the weapon on himself, having cocked his head as close as he could before clumsily pulling the trigger.  He remained dazed a moment until he felt Harry’s hand on his shoulder.  Lee found his senses and climbed off of the dead rating, somewhat shaken by the fact that the young man had chosen to end his life, rather than get caught.  He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and turned toward Harry.

 

“Are you all right, Sir?”

 

“I’m fine, Lee.”

 

He recovered quickly, turning toward his newly arrived security team and instantly returning to command mode.  “Secure the perimeter men, and call an ambulance for our men outside.” 

 

The sounds of approaching sirens was heard in the distance as Lee took one last look at Weber and headed for the door.

 

“I’d better meet the police… make sure none of our men are mistaken for Unfriendlies,” he announced.

 

“Lee,” Harry said, his strong command voice effectively stopping him in his tracks.  “There was nothing you could have done.  Weber obviously had this planned out if he failed.”

 

Lee sighed heavily and nodded.  “I know, Sir,” he replied regretfully over his shoulder, before heading outside to greet the Santa Barbara Police Department.

 

* * * * *

 

After some very high-level conversations between Washington and the Chief of Police, and with the promised arrival of a JAG officer from San Diego to act as liaison, Lee and Harry were free to leave the scene and head to Med Bay, where Kowalski and Riley had been taken.

 

Harry’s house wasn’t far from NIMR, it was a short drive and neither one did much talking.  They arrived at Med Bay, and since they had been detained at Harry’s house for several hours, Lee sought a full report on his injured men, while Harry headed straight for Jamie’s office to make a secure call.

 

Lee spotted Jamieson at the nurses’ station giving instructions to his staff and closed the distance.

 

“How are they, Jamie?” Lee asked Seaview’s Chief Medical Officer who had been called in to deal with the emergency.

 

“Kowalski took a mean blow to the back of the head,” Jamie reported, moving Lee with a guiding hand to the chairs against the wall to offer some privacy to their conversation, “but he’ll be fine.  I’m keeping him overnight since he was rendered unconscious, but there’s no sign of concussion, and he’s lucid and responsive.”  Jamie chuckled and shook his head.  “He told me he had a hard head and I tend to believe him,” he added with a smile.

 

“Will he be cleared for the mission?”

 

“I don’t see any reason why not,” Jamie replied.

 

Lee nodded, relieved that his best sonar man would be sailing with them when they shoved off.

 

“What about Riley?”

 

“Riley’s another matter,” Jamie answered with a sigh.  “He took quite a beating; along with a mild to moderate concussion, he suffered a cracked rib and multiple contusions and bruises.  He’ll recover, but I’m afraid he won’t be sailing with us this week.”

 

Lee nodded, grateful that his men would recover, but finding it increasingly hard to tamp down the fury growing inside that they had been targeted in the attempt to get to the Admiral.

 

“And then there’s Patterson,” Jamie added as Lee’s head shot up and his eyes sharpened even more.

 

“What about Patterson?” he all but demanded.

 

“His wife brought him in earlier this afternoon; she thought he had a stomach bug…”

 

“Yeah, that’s what Kowalski told me earlier,” he interjected, realizing that he was about to get another piece of the puzzle since Weber wasn’t scheduled to be on the detail tonight.

 

“His symptoms were severe, and I decided to do some blood work.  I was looking for a possible virus and found traces of a drug that when administered at high levels, produce heavy stomach cramps and vomiting.”

 

Lee practically deflated into his chair.  “So, he was drugged to ensure that Weber was on the detail tonight,” Lee stated flatly.

 

“It would appear so, Lee,” Jamie agreed.

 

Lee nodded, his eyes intense with the news.  He blew a breath out to release the pent up anger building inside of him and patted Jamie’s shoulder.

 

“Keep a good watch on them, Jamie… you sure earned your pay tonight.”

 

Jamie nodded and watched as he spotted Harry who was just now coming down the hall.

 

“What about the Admiral?  Do I need to look him over?” Jamie asked, his eyes searching for signs of injury, even as Harry approached.

 

“No, he’s fine.  You can ask him yourself, but he told me he was fine,” Lee replied wearily, the weight of command resting heavily on his shoulders at present.

 

“And how about you, Captain?” Jamie asked, the lines on his forehead sharpening in concern as he spoke.

 

“I’m… mad as hell, Jamie, but other than that, I’m fine,” he answered honestly, his expressive eyes confirming his reply as Jamie probed them.

 

Jamie nodded, accepting his answer and rose wearily from his chair.  “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m in real need of a cup of coffee just now,” he said with a small smile.  “How about you, Skipper?”  Jamie asked, hoping to entice Lee into taking a break.

 

Lee looked up almost through his eyelashes and offered a guarded smile.  “Yeah, that sounds good,” he admitted, then watched as Jamie headed to the nurses station to see to his unofficial prescription for his captain.

 

Lee stood to greet Harry when it suddenly dawned on him that he hadn’t seen Chip yet.  He expected that Chip would be one of the first people he’d see upon arriving at Med Bay, having contacted him from Harry’s place.

 

“Have you seen Chip, Admiral?” he asked as Harry drew near.

 

“No, I’ve been on the horn with Washington,” Harry replied, looking around the waiting room. 

 

Lee’s sixth sense suddenly moved into gear, he had three men in Med Bay, an attempted kidnapping of Admiral Nelson, and now a late first-officer that you could set your clock by.  His earlier weariness forgotten, he headed straight for the courtesy phone at the nurse’s station and picked it up when he was stopped by the sounds of a commotion behind him.

 

“Chip!  My God!  What happened to you?” Harry exclaimed.

 

Chapter Six

 

Lee turned sharply, taking in the sight of Chip Morton, muddy, soaking wet, and wrapped in an emergency blanket, currently being accompanied by a CHP officer and flanked by EMTs from the ambulance that brought him.  Their eyes met briefly, until Jamie and his medical staff converged upon the blond officer, guiding him to an examination room.

 

“I’m okay, Jamie,” Chip informed as he climbed on the gurney, but Seaview’s doc ignored the blonde’s self-diagnosis in favor of his own, removing the wet blanket as an attentive nurse placed another one around him.

 

Lee moved forward, intercepting the CHP officer for an explanation.

 

“Commander Crane,” he said by way of introduction.  “Can you tell me what happened?”

 

The officer nodded as Harry joined their conversation, eager to hear as well. 

 

“I’m Admiral Nelson,” he said, urging the officer to get on with the explanation.

 

“Yes Sir, I recognized you,” he said, before going all business.  “We fished Mr. Morton out of a drainage pond.  His car was partly submerged; it took over an hour to extradite him from the wreckage.”

 

“Drainage pond?” Harry inquired, knowing that there were none from Chip’s house to NIMR as both were located on the beach.

 

“There’s one on the way up to the hillside homes,” Lee filled in, to the officer’s nod.

 

“Yes sir, that’s what he told me.  I was the first officer on the scene, and stayed with Chip until the fire department arrived,” he said, demonstrating that the two men had exchanged first names while waiting to be cut free.  “He told me he had taken his wife to her folk’s house, one of the mansions on the hillside, and was headed to the Institute when he was run off the road.  There was an exchange of gunfire, we found bullet holes in his car,” he verified, “and he says he returned fire before having a tire blown out.  He lost control of his vehicle and rolled at least once, fortunately ending right side up in the pond.  Lucky for him, his car was part-way on land.  A witness called in the reckless driving so I was in route when he crashed.  I spotted a car parked off the road; it sped away as I approached.  We have an APB out on it, but I’m afraid we don’t have a license plate, just probable vehicle damage with paint exchange.”

 

Lee tilted his head toward the examination room as he asked his next question.  “What did the EMTs say about his condition?” he asked, as the paramedics had followed Chip into the exam room to give their report to Jamie.

 

“Surprisingly good,” he replied.  “He has a nasty bruise from the seatbelt and he’s favoring his side.  A few scratches, but he managed to avoid a side impact with his window and his Air Cushion deployed, so he was extremely fortunate.”

 

“Thank you, Officer Owens,” Lee replied, reading his name tag.  “And thanks for staying with him,” he added, noting the officer’s uniform was muddy and partly wet as well.

 

“Uh… he didn’t want me to contact his family,” Owens added.

 

Lee nodded.  “His wife is pregnant,” he explained, as Chip no doubt wanted a familiar voice to call Monica and break the news that he had spent an hour half-submerged in a drainage pond.  “I’ll take care of it.”

 

“And we’re going to need an official statement,” the CHP officer continued to Harry’s knowing nod.

 

“I’ll contact your Lieutenant, I’m afraid you’ve walked into a national security issue,” Harry said without further explanation, handing the officer his business card.

 

“I’ll get on the horn and give him a call now, sir,” the officer replied respectfully; Admiral or no, he had to go by the book and only his Lieutenant could authorize him to back off standard operating procedures.

 

Harry and Lee watched the officer head for the courtesy phone at the nurses’ station as Harry shook his head. 

 

“Looks like that JAG officer is going to be busy tonight,” he said dryly, before heading into the exam room to check on his officer and friend, while Lee headed to Jamie’s office to call Monica.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry entered the examination room and waited as Jamie probed Chip, now lying on the gurney with his shirt discarded on the floor.  Even from his place out of the way of the medical staff, Harry could see the angry bruise from the seat belt shoulder strap across his chest as well as a large bruise on his right side, where he had apparently come in contact with the stick shift.  He had a streak of blood from his hairline, but it hadn’t bled long, other than that he looked pretty good for a man who had cheated death in a roll-over.

 

Jamie stepped back, and turned toward Harry. 

 

“I’ll give you a few minutes, Admiral, and then as a precautionary measure, I’m sending him for some scans.  It’s purely out of an abundance of caution and I don’t expect to see any surprises,” he reported with a small doctor’s smile and left the exam room to order the tests.  The nurses followed as Harry stepped up to the gurney, his face softening as he placed a hand on Chip’s shoulder.

 

“How are you feeling, Chip?” he asked, suddenly losing his words for the strong emotions elicited by the fall-out from this evening’s events.

 

“I’m okay, Sir; pretty sore, but okay,” he replied, his gurney raised thirty degrees so that he was partially sitting.

 

Harry sighed.  He and Chip went a long way back… all the way to the Academy when he noticed the brilliance behind two cadets in particular.  Lee had served under him for a year on the Nautilus and by the time Harry was ready to build Seaview, was well on his way to commanding his own boat, a rising star already pegged by the promotion board.  Chip had made his mark as well, but was willing to take a pentagon posting on his staff and subsequently becoming the first officer he approached with his plans to turn Seaview from a dream to reality.  Chip became a plank owner on the new venture, his right hand man, and when he selected John Phillips as Seaview’s captain there was no question who would be the first officer. 

 

He was the glue that held everything together when Philips was murdered and Lee was named temporary captain… and later it was Chip that enabled him to save Lee’s life when Krueger took over his body.  If Chip hadn’t had faith in him, he would have been court-martialed and Lee would have been forever doomed to possession by a sadistic cruel spirit who couldn’t accept his own death. 

 

There was a lot of water under the bridge, both good and bad, but the young man who laid on the gurney before him was much more than a subordinate or a good officer… he was a friend who had come to mean a lot to him.  Seaview had forged deep friendships in its officers, and Chip Morton was a young man of the highest caliber… one of his boys.

 

“You… you just let Jamie take care of you,” he said in a soft order, unable to find words just now and trying to fall back on his rank and duty, but then relented, allowing his hand to rest on Chip’s shoulder in friendship.  “We’ll find out who did this, Chip,” he promised, finding strong resolve in his voice as his blue eyes passed determined concern.

 

“I think we both have an idea what it’s about, Sir,” Chip said, cutting to the chase and referring to their mission, less than a week away.

 

Harry nodded.  “Just rest, I need my best officers in place when Seaview shoves off,” he admonished to Chip’s nod, offering a rare but sincere compliment for his skills and value as Seaview’s XO.

 

“Aye Sir.”

 

Harry squeezed his shoulder as the orderly knocked on the open door. 

 

“Are you ready to go for a ride, Mr. Morton?” he asked, placing a white hospital blanket over Chip’s legs and pulling it up to his chest.

 

“Sure, Rich,” he replied, submitting to the medical tests without fussing upon Jamie’s promise that if all proved well, he could go home this evening.

 

Harry stepped back, watching as Chip was wheeled away and allowing his deep concern to reach his expressive eyes.  His lips pursed and his forehead tightened as he considered the fact that he had almost lost Chip Morton tonight.

 

* * * * *

 

“Mr. Felton,” Lee greeted, purposely asking for Monica’s father.  “This is Captain Crane.”

 

“Hello Captain.  I take it, this isn’t a social call.”

 

“No sir.  I’m here at the Institute Med Bay; Chip was involved in an auto accident, he’s all right,” he added hurriedly, “but he spent an hour partly submerged in a drainage pond.”

 

“My God!  You say he’s all right?”

 

“Yes sir, our doctor is with him right now, but it looks like he was just banged up a little.  I wanted you to break the news to Monica and I can send a driver to pick her up if you like.”

 

“No, that won’t be necessary, I’ll bring her.  Thank you, Captain.”

 

“You’re welcome, sir,” Lee replied, hanging up and lingering his hand on the phone for a moment.  He left Jamie’s office and returned to the waiting room, noticing that Harry was talking with Chip and didn’t want to interrupt their conversation.  Harry wasn’t the easiest person to read, but after nearly four years serving as Seaview’s captain, he could read the heavy emotions in the Admiral’s eyes.  He spotted Officer Owens just hanging up the phone and decided to get a few more details while he waited to see Chip himself.

 

“Officer Owens,” Lee called, closing the distance and gentling the officer to the side where they could talk freely.  “You said that there had been an exchange of gunfire?”

 

“Yes, we found bullet holes in Morton’s car and his own weapon had been discharged.  We’ve already ran his credentials to carry.”

 

“He’s duly authorized,” Lee assured him, “I’m curious, based on the evidence at the scene, if you have an opinion on whether this was a case of road rage or something more?” he asked point blank.

 

Owens looked around the waiting room at the plethora of seaman, security, and medical staff and raised an eyebrow. 

 

“I take it all this busyness isn’t normal for you here?” he asked, having already come to the conclusion that something was up that he wasn’t privy too just yet.

 

“No it isn’t; I can’t tell you what it’s about, but I can tell you that we foiled an attempt to abduct Admiral Nelson tonight that landed three of my men here in Med Bay, not counting Chip.”

 

Owens blew a breath out and shook his head incredulously.  “Okay, so this is completely unofficial, all right?” he qualified to Lee’s nod.  “It looks like to me, that after Chip’s tire was blown that he got an added push off the road, so yeah, it looks like someone had a beef with him.  When I approached the scene, I spotted the other driver out of the car, courtesy of his own headlights, he had a weapon drawn and my impression was that he was going to finish off the job.”

 

Lee swallowed hard.  “Thanks, I’m sure by tomorrow I’ll have all the official reports, but by the time Washington and your brass get together… well, I just need to know what I’m up against.”

 

Owens nodded knowingly, just as an orderly wheeled Chip out.  Lee excused himself and made his way over, as Rich paused the gurney ride so they could talk.

 

“Hey Lee,” Chip said, feeling foolish about being wheeled around when he was perfectly capable of walking.

 

“How are you doing, Chip?”

 

“Jamie says I’m fine, he just wants to run a few tests.  Did you call Monica?”

 

Lee nodded.  “I talked with Ryan, he’s bringing her over.  I made sure to let him know that you’re okay; so don’t worry, you know she’s strong,” he encouraged, knowing that Chip was concerned about how the news might affect his pregnant wife.

 

“Thanks, Lee.”

 

“Listen, we’ll talk later.  You just let Jamie poke and prod until he’s satisfied and you’ll be out of here in no time.”

 

“Spoken by someone who knows…,” Chip quipped as Lee returned his banter with a smile and a shrug.

 

“Hey, I came out of this without a scratch,” he jested back before nodding to Rich to continue their journey and quickly losing his half-hearted grin as they disappeared behind double swinging doors.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry walked out of the examination room, spotting Lee talking to Chip and then focused on the CHP officer who had distanced himself to give the two friends privacy.  Harry waved Owens over, suddenly feeling the urge to do something constructive.

 

“I imagine your Lieutenant is anxious for some sort of explanation?” the Admiral asked pointedly.

 

“To put it mildly, yes,” Owens replied with a small smile. 

 

“Very well, follow me, between the California Highway Patrol, the Santa Barbara Police Department, and the Fire Department, I think we’ve managed to involve the entire scope of emergency services in this little Top Secret affair,” he grumbled facetiously, motioning for Owens to follow him as Jamie’s office was getting quite the business tonight.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee’s expression darkened as he watched Chip being wheeled away and took a deep breath to clear his strong emotions.  He had three men in Med Bay and he wanted to check on their progress personally.  He headed to Ski’s room first, finding the rating resting, but he moved along to his bedside anyway.

 

“Hi Skipper,” Kowalski greeted, opening his eyes upon hearing soft steps in the room.

 

“How’s your head, Ski?” he asked concerned.

 

“Had a headache, but Doc gave me something, it’s doing the job,” he replied.  “How’s Riley, Sir?  No one will tell me anything,” he complained.

 

“Riley will be fine.  He didn’t fare as well as you though; they knocked him around a bit more.  He’ll recover, but I’m afraid he won’t be sailing with us.”

 

“I’d sure like to get my hands on whoever jumped us,” the brown-haired rating replied. 

 

“Yeah, me too.  Do you remember what happened?”

 

“Not really.  I think I just signed off with you; I waved to Stu… and then everything went black,” he answered, shifting to find a comfortable place to lay his head now that it sported a new tender bump.

 

“Don’t worry about a thing,” Lee encouraged with a small smile, “I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

 

Lee started to leave, but turned back on Ski’s call.

 

“Sir?  They told me the truth, didn’t they?  I mean the Admiral’s okay and all?”

 

He nodded and added a guarded smile.  “Yeah, he’s just fine.  Get some rest, Ski,” he ordered and left.

 

Lee took in a deep breath, tamping down his emotions as he entered the next room.  Patterson was lying completely still on the bed with his wife holding his hand.  He looked completely out to the world, so Lee just stood back, until she placed her husband’s hand gently down and moved to the door to speak with him.

 

“Hi Lori,” Lee greeted in a whisper. 

 

“Hello Captain Crane,” she whispered back, the worry lines on her face soft, but definitely present.

 

“How’s Pat?”

 

Lori sighed in a mixture of relief and gratefulness.  “Much better, he was really sick and dehydrated, so I brought him here right away.”

 

“Good thinking,” he complimented with a small smile that faded.  “Did Dr. Jamieson tell you what the tests showed?”

 

She nodded; her disappointment in man’s cruelty apparent in her eyes.

 

“Can you tell me who might have slipped him something?”

 

She took no offense, having been a Seaview wife long enough to know that Captain Crane only had Pat’s best interests at heart and knowing she wasn’t in question.

 

“I’m not sure, but I have a guess.  It doesn’t make any sense, really,” she stammered, as if almost ashamed that she suspected a fellow crewman, but found her resolve and continued.  “Jerry came over to visit this afternoon,” she recounted.  “Pat didn’t eat anything, he was barbequing at the time,” she explained using his shipboard nickname, “but they had a soda pop out in the backyard as they talked.  He got sick about thirty minutes later,” she said, her eyes glistening at the betrayal she suspected, now that she had heard about the trouble at the Admiral’s.

 

Lee’s brow tightened.  “You wouldn’t happen to still have the pop can?”

 

“In the garbage at home; I can dig it out,” she replied anxious to help.  “I can’t believe Jerry would do this,” she added.  “I’d really like to know what made him turn on Pat; they’ve been friends for a long time.”

 

Lee heaved a sigh.  “Uh… Lori, Weber’s dead,” he said as she gazed back shocked.  “And you’re right, he’s been a loyal crewmember for a long time, something’s not right in this and I intend to get to the bottom of it.  In the meantime,” he said softening, “you take care of yourself… and Pat,” he added with a small encouraging smile.

 

“Thank you, Captain Crane, and I’ll get that soda can out and bring it when I come back to visit in the morning.”

 

Lee patted her shoulder and left, quietly closing the door behind him and pausing only shortly, before heading into Riley’s room.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee rounded the door in Riley’s room and cautiously approached the young rating.  Unlike Ski and Pat, his bed was surrounded by several monitors, in addition to the IV drip.  The white bandage wrapped around his head starkly contrasted the plume of ample strawberry blond hair sticking out the top.  His hospital gown covered his bandage wrapping around his cracked rib and bruised torso, but his face showed the unmistakable signs of a man who’d been used as a punching bag.

 

As he got closer to the bed he could see that Riley was awake.

 

“Hi Skip,” he greeted airily.  “I was hoping to get to talk to you.”

 

“Hey Riley,” Lee replied, his relief at the rating’s favorable prognosis tempered by the reality of the beating he took.  He pulled a chair over and sat down next to him.  “I was hoping you could tell me what happened tonight, but only if you’re up to it,” he added.

 

“I’m okay as long as I don’t move my head,” Stu replied, one hand resting on a kidney shaped bowl ready to use in case he became nauseous; the inevitable, if not unfortunate, side-effect of a concussion.

 

“I don’t want you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable; I’m just looking to fill in some gaps.”

 

“Well… we were expecting the Admiral any minute, Weber was inside completing the sweep in there, and I had just waved off my okay to Ski, that’s when we were attacked.”  He stopped to swallow, and Lee recognized he was fighting off the killer headache that accompanied a head wound.  “Things are a little fuzzy, but I got hit from behind; when I woke up I saw this dude in black clothes casing the house.  I think I heard the Admiral’s car or something, and for all I knew both Ski and Jerry were out of commission… so I attacked from behind.  I only got in one good blow before the dude let me have it.  I don’t remember much after that,” he apologized.

 

“That’s all right, Stu; you know it sounds like what you did bought me the time to get there.  They told you the Admiral was okay, right?”

 

“Yeah, and Ski too, what about Jerry?”

 

Lee heaved a breath out, hating to break the news to the young man.  “Weber was the inside man working with the abductors… he didn’t make it.”

 

Stu’s brow tightened sharply as he shook his head, despite his concussion.  “Not Jer, Sir,” he disputed.  “He was a good guy, one of the best,” he lamented.

 

“I don’t understand it either, Riley; but I had him down and he chose to end his life rather than face what he did.”

 

Stu closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

 

“I’m sorry, Riley, maybe I shouldn’t have told you tonight.”

 

“It’s all right, Skipper.  I just can’t imagine Jerry going rogue.”

 

Lee sighed heavily.  “Neither can I,” he admitted, but knowing full well that money had turned many a man from the right path, and perhaps they had misread the crewman’s loyalty.  He kept these thoughts to himself as Stu was already having a hard time dealing with the betrayal.  “Are you going to be all right?” he asked, concerned for the young surfer who had come aboard almost two years ago and had become such an important part of Seaview’s team of can-do, get-it-done men.

 

“Aye Sir, I guess I’ll just sleep now… until the nurse comes in to wake me,” he joked to Lee’s smile.

 

“Yeah, I know what that’s like.  Get some rest, Stu.  You know you’ve been beached for this mission, right?”

 

“Yeah, Doc told me… Bummer.”

 

“Well, you do what they say and you’ll be back in no time,” he encouraged and stepped away.

 

Lee headed to the door and looked back at Seaview’s youngest crewman.  He didn’t know for sure, but he’d guess that the bad guy had inflicted more damage than necessary to subdue Riley; it didn’t sit well with him…  Nothing about this night was sitting well with him.

 

Chapter Seven

 

 

Lee woke the next morning not the least bit rested; it had been a long night at Med Bay.  Chip’s tests confirmed he was battered and bruised, but harbored no internal injuries and was allowed to leave, although it was decided that he and Monica would return to the Felton mansion for the night as it was gated with private security, shared among the elite neighborhood homes.  It had been an easy sell for the otherwise notoriously stubborn blond, mostly because he wanted to ease Monica’s mind and he wanted her with her folks for added security when he returned to work, which he insisted he would do the next morning.

 

It hadn’t been so easy a sell for Harry, who insisted on returning to his own home that evening, but Lee had persisted and struck a satisfactory compromise for both officers to stay aboard Seaview for the night. 

 

The remainder of the night had thankfully been uneventful, with no further attacks on Seaview’s crew, but the damage had been done… he had one dead crewman and four that had been sent to Med Bay.  He needed answers.  Apparently, Mateo Ramirez agreed, the Captain was due for an 1100 meeting that morning in Harry’s office, having taken the first flight out after being informed of the events of the night prior.

 

* * * * *

 

“Admiral… Lee,” Ramirez greeted, unlocking the cuff on the briefcase attached to his wrist and placing it on the floor next to him.

 

“Good to see you, Mateo,” Lee returned amicably.

 

“Washington must have put you on the first flight out,” Harry commented; though the meeting had been unscheduled, he couldn’t say it was a complete surprise as he handed over the official reports from last evening’s events.

 

“It was very early,” Ramirez replied with a small upturn of his lips, before shifting his mood for the important business at hand.  “Before we get started, how are your men?” he asked having been briefed verbally, but just now having the opportunity to look over the official reports from the highway patrol and police departments.

 

“Morton was released last night; Patterson and Kowalski were released this morning; all three are cleared to sail when we shove off.  Riley is still laid up in Med Bay and has definitely been beached for the voyage,” Lee reported.  “Weber was the inside man and managed to take his own life while I was subduing him.”

 

“Hmmm,” Ramirez said, looking over the reports before raising his head to address Seaview’s officers.  “So, the Admiral was targeted for abduction,” he said, restating the obvious, “and the security detail got in the way.”

 

Harry sat back, barely responding to the statement as Lee nodded in agreement. 

 

“And there was no indication of Weber’s duplicity prior?” the security officer probed.

 

“No, he was a loyal crewman as far as we knew.  Even his closest friends are shocked by his participation,” Lee replied, filling Ramirez in.

 

“NIS will be conducting an investigation into Weber, maybe we’ll have some answers in a few days; at any rate, the most important thing to take away at this point, is the fact that they wanted to take Admiral Nelson alive.”

 

“They obviously think that I know the coordinates,” Harry offered, sitting back in his high back executive chair with his elbows resting on the arms and folded in front of him.

 

“That makes sense,” Ramirez agreed, laying down the police report and picking up the report from the CHP.  “Now, Morton is another matter.”

 

“You don’t think he was targeted for abduction,” Lee stated rather than asked.

 

“Do you?” Ramirez shot back to Lee’s negative shake of the head.

 

“No, I think they were trying to eliminate him.  The only question is… why was he targeted?”

 

Ramirez blew an audible breath out and dropped the report on Harry’s desk, then leaned back, thinking through his next words.

 

“How important is Morton to Seaview’s mission?  I mean, I know he’s the first officer…”

 

“Very important,” Lee shot back almost defensively, his eyes sharpening, but then relenting slightly, “but not essential.  I have a fully trained crew with several junior officers who can step up to the plate if needed.”

 

Ramirez nodded, fully expecting not only the answer he got, but the fervor at which it was rendered.

 

“Now, let me ask you this question,” he said directing his full attention to Lee.  “How would you have been affected if Admiral Nelson here was abducted and Chip Morton murdered just a week before sailing?”

 

Lee blew an assessing breath out, pondering a question he wouldn’t ever want to face, but before he could answer Ramirez continued.

 

“I’ve read your service record and I have no doubt you would have taken Seaview out to complete your mission, but am I correct in assuming that you would have been ‘affected’?”

 

Lee sat silently for a moment then answered honestly.  “I would have been affected,” he admitted, making brief eye contact with Harry.

 

Ramirez nodded, almost sorry he had to elicit such a response from Seaview’s captain.  “I’m afraid last evening’s attacks weren’t just focused on Admiral Nelson or Commander Morton… they were meant to pull you off your game, Lee.”

 

“They haven’t succeeded,” Lee stated flatly.  “I’ll get Seaview to her coordinates, you can bank on that.”

 

“Believe me, a lot of people are,” Ramirez replied with a small grin before switching gears.  “Dr. Land has indicated that he has the coordinates in his safe, but before he commits to them he would like the opportunity to discuss and verify the data with you first, Admiral Nelson.”

 

“Of course,” the Admiral said, agreeing instantly, and understanding that Land was being extremely careful, as a failure to locate the ore might just kill the project due to the expense, danger, and the fact that there were other reputable scientists who doubted that an ore resulting in adding a brand new element to the periodic table even existed.

 

 “You will travel to the secret laboratory and you’ll have two days to examine the data, that’s a total of four days that you’ll be out touch with your crew, allowing for two days travel to and from… as you might have guessed, the secured laboratory is off the beaten path,” the Security Officer added with a quick but fading smile as he pulled out two red envelopes from his briefcase, handing them to Harry and Lee as he continued.  “General Price is confident in Land’s research and as a result of last night’s multiple attacks against you and your crew, is ordering Seaview to shove-off in two days.”

 

Lee blew a breath, already making a mental list of what needed to be done for an early departure, while nodding his understanding.

 

“You will proceed to the coordinates indicated in your orders,” Ramirez continued with a nod to Lee’s envelope.  “You will observe radio silence and wait for Admiral Nelson and Dr. Land to rendezvous with Seaview via FS1.  Dr. Land will deliver the coordinates to the project site in person.  You’ll be on your own out there,” he added solemnly, “but it’s necessary to ensure that the coordinates are not leaked through whatever means our enemy might obtain,” he stated before turning toward Harry.  “In the meanwhile, you Admiral Nelson, will immediately make your way to Land’s secret laboratory in the flying sub, and this time I must insist upon one of my own security men accompanying you,” he stated flatly; rank notwithstanding, Ramirez was responsible for security and was fully authorized to expect Harry’s compliance.

 

“Very well,” Harry conceded graciously.

 

“The rest of the particulars of the mission are detailed in your orders,” Ramirez continued, addressing both officers, before turning back to Harry.  “My man, Davis, will be assigned to you, Sir; he’s one of my finest,” he assured.

 

Harry nodded, not convinced he needed a bodyguard, but understanding that the scope of the mission demanded it.

 

“I’m sorry that all of this was dropped in your laps so soon after last evening’s events,” Ramirez added, softening his approach as he gathering his briefcase and service cap.

 

“It’s not all that unusual to get sailing orders with little or no warning, Mateo,” Lee offered, his tone far less formal than it was a moment ago.  “Do you have time for a tour of Seaview?” he offered, rising with the Security Officer.

 

“I might not, but I’ll make the time,” Ramirez replied with a small smile, before turning to Harry and offering a hand.

 

“Master at Arms Davis is waiting outside, Sir; sorry but you’ll have a ‘Shadow’ until this is a done deal,” Mateo offered with a thin smile, referring to the MA3, a Petty Officer Third Class, part of the well-trained Naval Security Force tasked with safeguarding the project.

 

“I understand; I’ll clear my desk and we’ll be ready to shove off in…” Harry stopped to check his watch, “two hours,” he finished.

 

“Perfect.  Davis will divulge the coordinates in flight.”

 

“Very well,” Harry replied, before turning to Seaview’s Captain.  “Lee, I’ll need FS1 prepped for take-off.”

 

“Aye Sir, I’ll take care of it,” he replied, while motioning for Mateo to precede him out the door.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee’s first stop was Chip’s office before heading down to the sub pen; he had momentarily left Mateo in Harry’s outer office as he briefed Davis with last minute details.

 

He knocked on the partially opened door and was greeted to a quick request to enter.

 

“Hey Chip, how are you feeling today?” he asked, not having a chance yet to check on his friend who was moving slowly and had come into today a little later than normal.

 

“I’m alright, just a little sore,” he admitted as Lee took the visitor chair at his desk.  He leaned forward and sighed, hating to break the news.

 

“Chip, I hate to do this to you, Buddy, but Washington is moving the voyage ahead of schedule.  We’re shoving-off in two days.  We’re going to need a full crew, stores…” Lee stopped in mid-sentence as Chip shook his head and raised a hand.

 

“Already on it,” he interrupted, “all I needed was a shove-off date,” he finished, having anticipated the possibility after their “eventful” evening the night prior.

 

Lee nodded and smiled in amazement.  “I should have known,” he quipped, sitting back and chuckling lightly then pulling it back in concern.  “I really want you to lean on Bobby and Sharkey for this,” he admonished quite seriously.  “You were almost killed last night…”

 

“I’m fine, Lee, and I’m way ahead of you.  I’ve already brought them both in on the preparations.”

 

“Great,” Lee said, standing to leave, but lingering a moment.  “How are Monica and the baby?”

 

Chip’s eyes softened, his facial lines betraying the very soft spot he had for his expectant wife.   “She’s good, the baby was kicking this morning and well… it’s like you said, she’s tough.”

 

Lee blew an audible breath of relief and then smiled.  “Well, I’ve got to get going.  The Admiral is shoving-off with FS1 in less than two hours and I’ll take care of overseeing the on-board preparations.  You just avoid the ladders today; trust me, you haven’t begun to feel sore yet,” he added, knowing that the second day after an accident was often the worst.

 

“Yeah, that’s what Jamie tells me.  Keep me in the loop and I’ll take care of things from here,” the blond suggested with the familiarity their years of friendship afforded them.

 

“Deal,” Lee replied, heading back to Harry’s outer office to escort Mateo to the underground sub pen.

 

* * * * *

 

He only had a small window to work with here in the men’s room.  His briefing was complete and he knew that Crane would be back soon, so he sent the four digit code signaling that the secondary plan after Nelson’s failed abduction was a “Go” and transmitted.  He smiled knowing his superiors would be pleased, then put back on his “tough as nails” face and returned to Admiral Nelson’s outer office.

 

* * * * *

 

“Everything is checked out and ready, Admiral,” Lee replied, handing Harry the clipboard to sign-off.

 

“Very well, Lee,” he replied, looking over the pre-flight report and signing off with a nod.  “Well, I’m anxious to get going,” Harry admitted, returning the clipboard and more than willing to take the unexpected trip for the opportunity of digging into the data directly. 

 

“Have a good trip, Sir, we’ll see you at the rendezvous point,” Seaview’s Captain replied.

 

“Thank you, Lee.  Are you ready to shove-off, Davis?”

 

“Aye Sir,” the able MA replied with a nod to Captain Ramirez, as if to say, “I’m on it, Sir,” as he followed Admiral Nelson down the deck hatch.

 

Lee closed the deck hatch then proceeded to the flying sub launching station near Sonar and flipped a Com switch from there.

 

“Ready to launch at your command, Admiral,” Seaview’s Captain informed.

 

“Very well,” Harry replied as the sounds of switches being thrown and systems turning on were heard in the background.  Lee waited for only a short time before Harry added, “FS1 to Seaview; ready to launch.”

 

“Aye Sir,” Lee answered, having already deployed Seaview’s bay doors earlier.  “Launching in five… four… three… two… one… Launch,” he said, releasing the magnetic arms as the yellow flying sub dropped effortlessly into the depths of the sub pen.

 

Lee watched the sensors as FS1 dropped below the open bay doors and keyed the Com.  “FS1 has cleared the bay doors.  Have a good flight.”

 

“Thanks Lee,” Harry replied, adding forward thrust and maneuvering the flying sub through the man-made channel built especially for Seaview’s hidden underground sub pen. 

 

Lee continued to watch his instruments, noting the yellow submersible’s progress before turning to see the small upturned lips of Mateo.  It was only a small grin, but he hadn’t seen the Security Officer crack too many smiles and furled his forehead in question.

 

“That’s one-half of my problem resolved,” Mateo said with a shrug of his shoulders.  “And once Seaview launches I’ll finally be able to get a good night’s rest.”

 

Lee chuckled, shaking his head in disagreement.  “Maybe your security objectives are met once we shove-off, but mine are just beginning.  I afraid I’m on the hook until I deliver Dr. Land and the Zycron 143 back to his lab,” he said partly joking, but also very serious.

 

“I understand, and believe me, I’m only temporarily punting away the responsibility; I get it all back when you hand-off Land and the ore after the mission,” Mateo clarified.

 

Lee smiled, their football analogy softening the seriousness of the mission for only a moment as he watched FS1’s signal disappear.  The Admiral had turned off FS1’s flight transponder, no doubt, a direct result of the orders in his red Top-Secret folder.  His smile faded as he turned toward Mateo for reassurance.

 

“You say Davis is one of your best?”

 

“He’s a fourth generation Navy man, and I’d trust him with my life.”

 

Lee blew out a breath and then nodded in acceptance of those words, before sweeping a hand toward the vertical deck hatch.

 

“I’ll see you out to the Institute offices; I’m afraid I’ve got a lot to do before we shove-off,” he stated apologetically.

 

“I’ll be out of your hair shortly, Lee, and thanks for the tour,” Mateo offered with one hand on a rung, ready to climb.

 

“Any time,” Lee replied with a polite smile, but inside, he was busy working out a mental list of everything that needed to be taken care of, before embarking on the voyage a week earlier than originally planned.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry cleared the sub pen underwater corridor and then switched off the transponder, rendering the yellow craft invisible to even an air traffic controller’s radar.  He raced the submersible towards the open ocean, keeping clear watch on his sonar and then headed for the surface, breaking the water and taking flight in a breathtaking sea to air take-off.

 

“That was some ride!” Davis exclaimed, clearly enjoying the adrenalin charge.

 

“It was indeed,” Harry agreed, climbing until he reached a safe altitude before engaging the Auto Pilot.  “Now, I think it’s time you clued me in to where we’re going,” he delivered with a small smile.

 

“Aye Sir,” Davis replied, reaching into his pocket for a slender red sealed envelope and handing it off to the Admiral.

 

Harry opened the orders, then proceeded to make adjustments to his current heading, programming the AutoNav with the new coordinates.

 

“Ramirez wasn’t kidding when he said this was off the beaten path,” the Admiral commented with a shake of his head.

 

“Aye Sir,” Davis replied as both men settled in for the long flight over the continent and across the Atlantic Ocean.

 

Chapter Eight

 

 

It was a full travel day, just as Ramirez suggested, even with the fact that the flying sub could travel Mach 2 once clearing the continent.  Davis had been fairly quiet; they had indulged only in small talk before the MA drifted off to sleep, citing a very long flight on a military transport earlier in the day.  That was fine with Harry as he always did enjoy utilizing his flight time to brainstorm or work through his latest scientific ideas.  It was easy to multi-task for the genius admiral, who was acutely aware of both his surroundings and his craft, even though his mind was busy on formulas or problem solving.   By the time they approached their designated coordinates he was ready for a break and couldn’t wait to stretch his legs.  He really wished he’d been authorized to bring along a co-pilot; even with the Auto Pilot engaged for much of the flight, it had been a long and taxing journey.  The thought of Land’s project revived him, however, as he approached the lake for the water landing.

 

“Are we there?” Davis asked, wiping his sleepy eyes and sitting up straight in his chair as Harry barely suppressed his chuckle at how the statement resembled a sleeping child waking up in the backseat of a car after a long road trip.  “Over there, Sir; that’s our man, Thompson,” Davis said, pointing out a dock attached to an ancient castle-like complex situated on an island in the lake. 

 

“Hmmm, I’d thought Dr. Land would have been here to greet me,” Harry noted as they neared the dock.

 

“No Sir, I’m told his security team won’t let him see the light of day,” Davis said, cracking a smile as Harry raised an eyebrow to the extreme security measures forced upon the project.

 

The yellow flying sub was piloted along until he reached the dock, where Thompson and his men secured her in place.

 

“How secure are our surroundings?” Harry asked as he cracked the vertical cargo hatch.  “It’s not like FS1 isn’t recognizable,” he added with a raised eyebrow.

 

“I’m told that the entire estate extends for miles around the lake and that the Fortress is well-hidden from unsecure eyes,” Davis answered as they stepped out onto the dock.

 

“Admiral Nelson,” a large, muscle-bound man greeted, “I’m Thompson, Sir.  This way, Dr. Land is expecting you.”

 

“Very well, will you see to my bag?” Harry asked with a nod to the yellow craft.

 

“I’ve got it, Sir,” Davis replied as Harry followed Thompson, leaving the rest of the men to apply a camouflage net over the flying sub.

 

Harry was unsure of his specific location, but he was fully aware by the coordinates he had entered into the AutoNav, that he had arrived at a Nordic destination.  The “castle” he had arrived at was fairly unimposing, yet had stood for what Harry now recognized, as a fortress for centuries.  Garrison walls surrounded the island complex, while a tall tower rose from the center, providing a look-out to the surrounding land.  As he passed from the garrison buildings into the garden courtyard, he realized that the fortress had been transformed into a monastery at some point; no doubt garnering the noble land owners great appreciation from the church.  Indeed, though not a traditional “round church”, the tower did lend itself to architecture of the 12th and 13th centuries, though he gauged the building to be more recent, of the 16th century he decided.  Harry smiled thinly at the ancient buildings, always one to appreciate ancient architecture, but refocused immediately, keenly aware of his surroundings in light of the important mission as Thompson led him into a building attached to the tower. 

 

As soon as he entered the building, he knew that he had walked into a trap.  The men who escorted him in hung back as he turned, sensing something was wrong to see that their guns were now pointed squarely on him.  Thompson took Harry by the elbow, urging him forward to where a figure sat on the front pew of what once was the monastery chapel dressed in the familiar hooded brown robe of a monk. 

 

Thompson stopped Harry just short of the pew as the hooded figure stood, dropping the head covering and turning slowly to reveal the dark-haired woman he had spotted eyeing Lee at the Blue Lagoon in Pearl Harbor.  But before he could even question who she was, the mystery woman smiled, her green eyes piercing as she greeted him in a familiar voice.

 

“Welcome Admiral Nelson.  Let’s begin again.”

 

* * * * *

 

Harry’s entire world shifted as his brow tightened and his lips pursed in recognition of not only her voice, but those three hated words, “Let’s begin again.”

 

“Karina!” he spat out, lunging forward and seeking nothing less than to wring her neck in his outstretched hands. 

 

His movements were halted by Thompson who was swiftly joined by the rest of Karina’s men as the beautiful woman shed her monk’s attire, stepping out of the robe she allowed to drop onto the stone floor, to reveal a form fitting black pencil skirt that rode above her knees and a white silk blouse tucked neatly in.

 

“I’m so looking forward to completing your training,” she cooed, then tilted her head ever so slightly as Harry was pulled harshly from the chapel to a side door, all the while trying to recover from the shock of meeting his nemesis of nearly six months ago, when he and Lee had been programmed to kill one another through the subliminal brainwashing techniques of doctors Wallace and Larson.* 

 

He was moved down a narrow stone hall and down steps to a large room that would have likely served as the armory in the days when the complex was used as a fortress; only now, the room was used for something far more sinister than defense from invaders, as Harry was ushered into a fully functional laboratory.

 

He fought all the harder when he saw the odd subject chair sitting in the center of the room with restraining belts in place, but lost the battle as Thompson and his burly men held him down until he was belted in and unable to move.

 

Karina followed, ignoring the struggle in the chair as she walked to the coat hook on the wall removing the white laboratory jacket, and sliding her arms in purposefully, then zipping up before turning to face her subject.

 

“Let’s not waste time, Nelson.  We have exactly twenty-four hours to rewire who you are,” she announced coolly as Harry drummed up all the defiance he had into his icy stare.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry flexed his hands under the straps belted at the wrists, forearms and biceps.  He legs were strapped at the ankles and a strap wrapped around his chest, effectively making any possibility of escape impossible at present.  He would have to look for an opportunity to escape and take the first one given him, he strategized silently.  The island wasn’t that far from the lakeside, so even if he couldn’t reach FS1, which would no doubt be heavily guarded, he could still make for the surrounding forest.  There were smoke stacks in the distance, signaling a small town was near, so he knew if he could make it that far he could call for help. 

 

“Now, Harriman… I can call you Harriman can’t I?”

 

Harry’s thoughts were interrupted as Karina drew near, now wearing the lab coat and sliding her hands into the pockets as she spoke.

 

“That’s what my friends call me, of which you are not,” Harry challenged.

 

Karina smiled thinly.  “Oh, but I will be… very soon,” she countered.  “You see, the art of brainwashing has greatly improved since Crane sat in a similar chair,” she stated waiting for a reaction from Harry and finding twisted reward in the anger burning through his eyes and pursed lips.  “It took three days of drug therapy, sleep deprivation, and electric shock reinforcement to achieve his loyalty,” she said, bragging that she had detailed knowledge of Lee’s brainwashing.   “And then there was Dr. Larson’s method utilizing a very much improved drug therapy, sensory punishment, and subliminal conditioning.  Both of those failures have been combined, and with a little improvement in Larson’s drug, we’ve managed to speed up the process immensely,” she continued, as an assistant stepped up with a stainless-steel tray holding three hypodermic needles.

 

Harry’s eyes narrowed slightly, though he kept his face even, careful not to give in to fear or anxiety as he suspected Karina would gain much pleasure from that.

 

“Now, I know you have a thousand questions for me, and I’ll answer a few of them… after your first injection,” she said, picking up a needle and examining the dangerous liquid inside before nodding to her assistant who inserted an IV port into Harry’s forearm.  Once the port was successfully installed she stepped forward, handing the hypo to her assistant.

 

“I regret that this is a necessary part of the technique, it’s something to help you accept your new orders,” she stated with a nod to the assistant to continue.

 

Harry suppressed a gasp at the injection, and worked to keep his face even, but the pain of the drug entering his system contorted his face as he put everything he had into not crying out.  After a few long moments, the initial pain dissipated, but was replaced with an odd tingling that moved throughout his body.  Soon he felt his muscles begin to relax, quite against his will, while simultaneously melting away his hard-as-steel resolve.

 

Karina leaned in close, staring deeply into Harry’s eyes as his face no longer held the deep lines of resistance.  She peered deeply as if looking for something specific, and then smiled at the fire still present in his blue orbs.

 

“Good, you’re still there,” she announced as a stool was brought for her.  The height of the stool placed her above Harry’s line of sight, necessitating the need for him to look up; something he deduced was not by accident as she towered over him.

 

“I want you to be aware; soon you’ll have a new allegiance, but deep down you’ll know that you’ve lost and there’s nothing you can do about it,” she stated matter-of-factly and without any hint of remorse for her actions.  “As you know, I am Karina, the voice you heard on your ship and during your conditioning in Dr. Larson’s laboratory.” 

 

None of this was a news flash to Harry, whose brain was still functioning even though his body was relaxing into mushy marshmallows, softening his resolve but still leaving his ability to think at present.

 

“Your victory over Larson’s subliminal brainwashing was only short-lived, and frankly, this is working out to be much more profitable,” she stated flatly.  “Your death and Crane’s court-martial was to be a birthday present for Dr. Gamma, but there’s little money in revenge,” she stated with a smile that Harry ignored; his facial muscles wouldn’t allow a scowl, but his glare was still apparent.  “This opportunity presented itself shortly after, and Daddy decided to have both his revenge and his payout.”

 

Harry’s forehead tightened only slightly, but she saw the recognition in his eyes and laughed.

 

“Daddy?” Harry questioned.  “Gamma is your…”

 

“Father?  Yes,” she answered proudly.  “You could say that I’m a result of the joining of two royal houses… a princess of sorts.”

 

“Get to the point,” Harry said grumpily, the drug sending strange vibes throughout his body as he fought the strange sensations that accompanied his rapidly fading ability to resist.

 

“My mother was given to Dr. Gamma to seal an agreement between him and a very powerful country.  Over the years, my father has worked both with and for this country as an ally, even though Dr. Gamma’s allegiance is to no other than his own organization.  They both accept that fact, and work together when it is advantageous to do so, after all, how many deep diving submarines do you think my father has?”

 

Harry’s breathing increased quite involuntarily as he struggled to tamp down the effects of the drug etching up his anxiety levels.

 

“So, you’re his daughter and his protégé,” Harry stated.  “I hate to break it to you, but Crane already figured that out,” he finished with a small one-sided smirk.

 

“Crane,” she repeated sardonically.  “I have something special in mind for him.”

 

Harry’s smile quickly faded, his eyes blinking as the drug began to exhibit its powerful influence over his ability to reason and think.

 

“Hmmm,” she purred, noticing his distress, “I see you’re almost ready,” she continued before moving along.  “You see, our new techniques are quite effective and efficiently expedient.  A new set of drugs is the key and you’ll be happy to know that we’ve no more need for the electric shock, whereas Crane spent three days under his conditioning, he managed to break out; however, we can fully recondition you in only a few days.  Of course, we don’t have time for the entire treatment.  You’ll have to return after your mission to complete your conditioning, but I assure you that within the next twenty-four hours your allegiance will solely and completely be for Dr. Gamma.”

 

“I’ll never submit,” Harry spat out, swallowing as his hands tightened around the arms of the chairs while the drug initiated a violent shaking of his extremities.

 

“We shall see, Harriman, we shall see,” Karina assured him as his head dropped heavily back against the chair. 

 

He barely heard the sound behind him as a computer station was rolled into place and electrodes were place on his head to monitor his brainwaves.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry’s glassy eyes signaled his readiness for the next injection as Karina studied his responsiveness.  Her long dark hair hung over her shoulders as she leaned in closer to his face, noting a reflexive twitch in his cheek when the needle was inserted.  They were nearly nose to nose as she studied his eyes then stepped back, satisfied with the results thus far.

 

“You’re barely holding on, Harriman,” she noted triumphantly, having seen the fire of his will still apparent even through his glassy stare.  “Now, as you have no doubt noted,” she said, taking a turn toward the clinical as she moved back to her stool, “we’ve improved upon the drug that was used in Larson’s experiment.  This derivative is far more aggressive; in short, the drug is doing all the work.  We’re not rewiring you as much as we’re creating a clean slate to work with.  You’ll still be lurking deep within your subconscious, but the Harriman Nelson you believe you are today will take a backseat to the Harriman Nelson we create.”

 

Harry wanted to respond… to say something rebellious and quite contrary to her words, but when he parted his lips nothing came out but an airy blow of the breath.

 

Karina smiled, recognizing the signs of his impending surrender.  She had seen it before, with Weber and Davis and several other unfortunates who served as guinea pigs for the drug.  Harriman Nelson was slowly losing his will to fight as the drug attached itself to the chemicals in his brain, latching onto the part responsible for passivity.  It was like a chemical lobotomy, blocking his ability to fight and pushing the fire of Harriman Nelson’s passion and will power so far back that he could barely access it. 

 

“Now, Harriman, let me tell you how you came to be an agent, deep undercover for Dr. Gamma,” she said, sitting back and reaching for her clip board. 

 

* * * * *

 

When Karina spoke, her voice was almost angelic, sultry, and undeniably powerful.  She read from his portfolio as if she were reading an engaging fairy tale, her emotions so real he could feel them.  She spoke of his devotion to Gamma, his willingness to play this uncomfortable role of the American admiral for the good of Gamma’s vision for the world.  And he had played it grandly, fooling everyone; the Navy, his closest friends, even his sister.  He was working for a greater purpose and a grander vision, she told him; it was his duty and his privilege to serve in whatever way Gamma needed.

 

Her words pierced his heart as Harry closed his eyes, a part of him accepting every word, while a smaller part of him struggled to keep what was his. 

 

Her narrations were followed by questions, to which he answered with little conviction, barely holding onto what he knew to be true.  Her voice permeated his very being as the drug stripped his ability to fight away from him.  He concentrated with all his remaining strength, but even so, he was succumbing to their technique.  At Karina’s prodding he could see his entire life being played out in his mind.  Events he had participated in played before him, only now a new set of motivations for his behaviors were being downloaded as his current state of passiveness created a strange vulnerability to accept her words.

 

Fight Harry! he urged himself.  Gamma is evil; you are not his ally… fight!

 

Karina continued, explaining that everything that the world thought was important to Harriman Nelson was a lie, a falsity to disguise his true loyalties… even his so-called friends… his family… they were all necessary to keep the deception.

 

Harry cringed… No! he begged himself.  You’re not a traitor… Edith is dear to me… Lee… Chip… Jiggs… …  …  Had he been that good of an actor to fake these feelings?  The last thought terrified him, because he realized that for a brief moment, he had entertained the idea that Edith and his friendships meant nothing to him.

 

He was lost in a silent battle when another injection was inserted into his port.

 

“Rest now, Harriman, and I shall tell you more,” Karina said, her voice wooing him to accept the impossible.

 

As Karina read from her script Harry felt himself drifting along, hearing every word in the background as their techniques accessed him through the very vulnerable port of his dream-like state.  Harry accepted the sleep gladly, believing himself to be far from Karina’s technique and resisting by concentrating on anything that was contrary to Karina’s lies.

 

* * * * *

 

“Is he dreaming?” Karina asked as her assistant studied the brainwaves on the computer monitor, nodding his answer as she smiled, knowing that the old brainwashing technique of sleep deprivation had been effective in the past; lowering the body’s resistance to fight, but admittedly took longer to achieve the exhaustion needed to make progress.  Crane’s conditioning had taken too long; he had fought too hard before the treatment forced him into submission nearly three years ago.  A new drug breakthrough, however, would negate the need for such tactics as it actually used REM sleep as its ally; accessing the brain at a place where everything was deemed plausible during one’s dreams.  It was the place where the brain ran amok, producing sometimes wild events that are accepted as the dreamer participates willingly, sometimes even evoking behaviors not within the sleepers established response; in some cases, even bypassing a dreamers wake-time morals.

 

Once the dream-state was reached, another drug was inserted through his port to help sustain the REM sleep and to keep him in the dream-state for further conditioning.

 

Thus, Harry dreamed, not knowing that Karina was going to use his sleep against him.

 

* * * * *

 

“Lee?”

 

The dark-haired operative lay prone on his stomach as Harry rolled him gently on his back wincing at the abuse another ONI mission had cost Seaview’s captain.  The bruises on his face gave testimony to the lengths the “other side” would go to get what they wanted.  An airy breath escaped Crane’s mouth as he came to, forgetting for a moment where he was and why his insides felt like hamburger meat just now.

 

“Easy there, Lad,” Harry comforted with a quick look about the warehouse.

 

“Admiral?” Lee queried in disbelief.  “What are you doing here?” he managed to breathe out.

 

“Rescuing you,” Harry deadpanned as Lee drummed up strength from nowhere in order to sit up.

 

“Damn it, Admiral, they don’t care about me, it’s you they want,” he answered slightly exasperated.

 

“That’s why we need to get moving before the sleeping gas wears off,” Harry replied coolly, wrapping Lee’s arm about his shoulder and helping him to his feet. 

 

“I explicitly ordered no rescue attempt,” Lee balked as Harry guided him out.

 

“In case you haven’t noticed, Commander… I outrank you,” Harry replied quite seriously before adding a small half-smile.

 

Lee moved his feet along as best as he could; holding one hand over his side as he chuckled lightly. 

 

“Aye Sir, I momentarily forgot,” he quipped back as they stopped to make sure the way was clear before making a dash from the building to the woods…

 

* * * * *

 

“Harriman,” a voice called, interrupting his dream, but not waking completely, thanks to Karina’s drugs.

 

“What?” he answered groggy and confused.

 

“Listen to my voice, Harriman,” she urged, and began reading from his conditioning portfolio once again.

 

Harry’s facial muscles were relaxed; he was dreaming, in a place where his brain didn’t analyze every single detail, and like the sleeper who dreams they are flying without mechanical aid accepts the dreams for plausible, so Harry accepted the portfolio.  He was completely unaware that his brain accepted her words just as one accepts their dreams, or that his will was being bypassed by the other drugs in Karina’s cocktail, as she made good on her earlier threat to recreate Harriman Nelson.

 

Her words entered his dreams as rescuing Lee, morphed into a life deep-seated in deceit and even hatred for the people around him.  All the feelings he had concerning Lee’s physical condition were lost, transforming into scenes from a new life, read directly from Karina’s playbook.

 

* * * * *

 

Karina slid off the stool, moving to the door to greet her visitor.  Nelson was allowed to rest for a brief period, his dream-state fully induced and therefore making the next session all the easier, with his brain offering no defense as it sensed no intrusion.

 

“Dr. Gamma is inquiring about the progress,” a tall, slender man reported respectfully, bowing his head to his superior.

 

“Tell him that Nelson will be ready as promised.  His conditioning is following a similar pattern as our other subjects, he is exhibiting no more resistance than the others,” she reported.

 

“Dr. Gamma would like to access Nelson’s Top-Secret information.  You are reminded that he is not to self-destruct upon completion of the mission.”

 

Karina nodded, knowing that Weber had been conditioned to end his life should his mission fail, Nelson however, held far too much information in his head to allow for such waste.

 

“A very strong sense of self-preservation has been applied to his portfolio; his willingness to die to protect others is being by-passed by his personal need to survive.  Assure my father that I have thought of everything.”

 

“Very good, Mistress,” he said, taking a step back before turning toward the door.

 

Karina moved back to her stool studying the movements under Harry’s eyelids and picked up the clipboard to continue her work.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry settled back into a dream, feeling comforted even as he slept since he recognized the memory.  It was familiar and therefore comforting; not like before, when his dream about rescuing Lee from an ONI mission gone bad had transformed into something he didn’t recognize.  Those memories were elusive and disturbing.  He was dreaming about a different life, one quite different from his own, but oddly enough, they were also memories... at least, that’s what Karina’s drugs had convinced him.  

 

The themes of those dreams were equally disturbing; you are not who they think you are… your allegiance lies with another… you are a master deceiver for a greater vision…  your friends are not these fools who surround you… your friends are those who seek a great vision…”

 

In his dream state, he couldn’t reason out what was happening to him.  He had no idea that his mind was being manipulated to accept a new portfolio for his life and who he was.  Even so, a small part of him fought, but just when the dream would escalate to a place where he might protest, her voice would soothe and calm him, bringing him back to a place of relaxation; a place where his mind accepted the words spoken as easily as it accepts any impossible situation the brain concocts as it dreams wildly at times.

 

He was currently in a rest period, one where his own mind picked his dreams and instantly relaxed as it played before him.

 

At present, his dreams had settled on a pleasant memory… sitting in his office with a younger Chip Morton by his side, reading blueprints together as the two excitedly discussed Seaview’s progress at the dry dock.  Their current discussion on the titanium hull was fueling their excitement as the newest metallurgic test had proven that Harry’s new formula would produce dives even deeper than they originally thought. 

 

Harry chuckled, “I’m still keeping these numbers,” he said, pointing to the depth of 3,000 feet dive capability, “but Chip, she can go deeper,” he finished with a twinkle in his eyes.

 

Chip’s blue eyes glimmered with his own delight; the Admiral had entrusted him with far more than the overseeing of a great project, but with his very dream and it had not taken long for Nelson’s dream to become his own.  It was a satisfying process for both men as Chip soaked in the knowledge of the brilliant admiral, while Harry enjoyed the mentorship of the capable officer.  Chip Morton was eager to learn and had his own brilliance, one that Harry was seeing flourish.  He more than appreciated the young man’s approach; methodical, steady, and reliable and knew that he had chosen the right person to help him bring this dream into reality. 

 

Seaview had been on his mind since he was a teen and he needed someone with the capacity to see the vision, and to understand the mathematics and the engineering enough to believe in translucent steel; so translucent they would be called windows!  He hadn’t found many whom he could trust with this vision… hell it wasn’t just a vision!  It was cold, hard, mathematical and engineering fact!  But it would take believing past the tried and true to bring Seaview’s windowed voyages from dreams to reality, and Chip Morton had been the man to help him accomplish that.

 

Those thoughts morphed into the not-so-pleasant memory of lying helpless on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean with air running so thin his crew was languishing.  A sonar man’s attention had been diverted from his duty for only a short time, but it was long enough to miss the mine field.  In Seaview’s early days, her windows were placed in the Observation Lounge, an admitted mistake he would later rectify, when he reconfigured Seaview’s nose to accept a docking berth for FS1.  Harry and Lee had been working in the Observation Lounge when they saw the approaching mine field.

 

“All stop!” Harry ordered, but it was too late as a mine fouled in the flood lights. 

 

They lost two men when the mini sub was launched to free the tangled lines of the mine; it was cut, but as the mine rose it collided with other mines.  The effect of the chain reaction of explosions was devastating; and just like that, the derelict mine field had claimed its victim, nearly forty years after the war.   It would have been catastrophic had Seaview been engineered under traditional methods, but her titanium hull proved true. 

 

As it was, Seaview had sunk.  Flooding from damaged hulls had forced Seaview’s creator to seal the hatch with a man still unaccounted for.  It was the hard decision that all commanders readied their resolve for, but prayed they’d never have to make. 

 

Furthermore, the Reactor was off-line and they were dead on the bottom with their air thinning, while trying to keep their men from panicking as each calculated the life that was left in their dwindling air supply.  They were too deep for an emergency escape, the pressures of the deep would crush anyone trying, and in his panic, one did try.  His eerie cries for help haunted them all, as did the silence when the depths claimed another soul.

 

They had one hope, that their emergency beacon had made it topside and that the message that “Submarine Sunk Here” would bring the help they desperately needed.  Help did arrive, though it was a long shot.  Chip Morton and Chief Jones had been at New London overseeing an upgrade on the diving bell.  They were the closest deep diving bell within reach, but her guidance system was still under repairs.  Harry would find out later that though the guidance system could not be repaired in time, and that Chip had authorized the bell to be loaded for the rescue operation; signing off on the bell’s readiness even though he and Curley both knew she wasn’t ready.  Chip had convinced the Navy that it could be done, loaded the bell with all the oxygen tanks he could safely fit, and then lowered himself and Curley down into the depths to save his fellow crewmen. 

 

The “depths” included navigating past the same minefield that had sunk Seaview, so everyone in the boat waited with only a sliver of hope that the bell would make it, and when they felt the explosions outside the boat, they all feared the worst… the bell had been destroyed; their last hope had been snuffed out.  At first, the thought of Chip’s possible loss was heavy, but Harry couldn’t give in to grief, Seaview had survived the explosions and the bell might have as well.  So, Harry and Lee hung onto the hope that Chip and the bell were out there and proceeded to make plans to right Seaview another five degrees to allow for coupling; a process that cost another life as Blake the sonar man sacrificed his life to save the boat. 

 

Now, all they could do was wait.  Was the bell still there as Crane had urged them to believe?  They had done all they could and waited in the silence of men trying to conserve their last breaths of air, when the glorious thud of something docking overhead instantly lifted their spirits. 

 

Chip’s was the face of their rescue.  “Permission to come aboard,” he asked with relief in his eyes that they had made it as he lowered emergency oxygen tanks and then loaded the bell with its first haul of Seaview survivors.  While Chip’s relief was apparent, so was Harry’s pride in the young man who with Curley, had risked their lives and saved all hands on-board. 

 

The next day they were back on dry land, the crew had been rescued and Lee reported that all were doing well, even Bishop.  Harry had already made the arrangements for the Boat to be raised and Seaview's Command Crew finally had the chance to sit down together and process the recent events over a few drinks. 

 

It was on the privacy of Harry's balcony in his hotel room and more than a few drinks later, they had loosened up as Harry, Chip, and Lee allowed themselves the luxury of celebrating the fact that they and their crew had survived the ordeal.  There were fallen comrades, but tonight they were reveling in the lives saved.

 

“A toast!” Lee said, raising his glass.

 

“Geez, not another one,” Chip groaned before chuckling, his good mood helped along by the Admiral's choice of brandy this evening.

 

“Yes another,” Lee answered, standing to deliver this one with flair.  “To the best damn EXEC in the Navy,” he declared with conviction.

 

“I'll drink to that,” Harry added, standing as well, his cheeks currently flushed with a tint of red, though he stood solid as a rock.  “Hear, hear!” he added as Lee and Harry raised their glass and Chip dipped his head to unsuccessfully hide his giggling.

 

Lee sat down heavily, nearly missing his chair and blew out a breath, the emotions of revelry contrasting his still strong emotions over the near disaster.

 

“It was way too close,” he said, with a shake of the head before raising it toward Chip.  “I don't know how you guided the Bell down without the guidance system,” he marveled.  “But we only had what?” Lee stopped to question himself with a shake of the head as he connected eyes with Harry, “an hour left of air to share among 120 men?”

 

Harry shook his head in the negative, like Lee, leaving behind the celebratory mood of earlier, “Not even that much.  I figure we were looking at about 20 minutes left when we heard the Bell link.”

 

Lee leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, sniffing back strong emotions helped along by his indulgence tonight.

 

“For a while there, we thought you were dead,” his hazel green eyes clouding in momentary unshed tears.

 

Chip deflated into his chair, taking another swig from his glass and sighing.

 

“You have no idea what it was like not being there with you guys,” Chip countered, his voice just as rough as Harry sat back silently taking it in, not immune to the strong emotions himself.

 

“What are the odds?” Lee asked, shaking his head.  “To have two of our best Bell operators able to ride down and navigate without the guidance system?” he finished with a slight chuckle.

 

Harry blew a breath out, joining in with his own observation.  “The bigger miracle was that the Bell wasn’t aboard Seaview at the time,” he said, before turning serious, standing once again, and raising his glass toward Chip.  “Even after we felt the explosions, I knew you weren't dead lad, I knew that Chip Morton would find a way,” he finished his voice rough with emotion. 

 

Lee followed, standing again as Chip swallowed then stood as well.

 

“We all did what had to be done,” he offered graciously, “you from Seaview,” he said, now fully aware of all the facts concerning the life and death struggle his shipmates had endured, “and Curly and me from the Bell.”  

 

Harry nodded, finding his strong baritone voice for the final toast of the night.  “To the best damn Command Team to sail the seas,” he said as Lee and Chip clinked their glasses in hearty approval, each man toasting the other two men that made up Seaview’s triad command.

 

Harry smiled in his sleep.  Lee Crane and Chip Morton were more than good officers, they were his…

 

“Harriman!”

 

Harry stirred slightly at the voice that intruded his slumber as his dream ebbed away at her voice.

 

“His brainwaves indicate he’s left the dream state,” the assistant noted.

 

Karina nodded then injected another dose into his IV port.  The drug worked quickly as the assistant monitored the computer screen, and then nodded when Harry returned to the induced REM-like sleep.  He didn’t however have a chance to dream his own dream, as Karina interposed her voice; and like a dreamer who incorporates sounds around him into his dream, so Harriman accepted her voice without complaint.

 

“You are one of Dr. Gamma’s most trusted and loyal allies,” she stated soothingly.  “While you work for a great vision, there are others who vehemently work against it; Crane, Morton, the crew of Seaview.  They are all Dr. Gamma’s enemies.  His enemies are your enemies.”

 

Harry’s brow tightened as a breathy moan escaped, muttering something incoherent in his sleep.

 

“In order to advance Dr. Gamma’s vision, you will be called into action.  It is your duty to serve the greater vision.  It is your desire to serve Dr. Gamma.  You will destroy all the enemies of the doctor, starting with Seaview’s crew.  You will destroy Seaview; this is your duty, to remove Seaview’s ability to retrieve the ore either now, or in the future.  Dr. Land’s discovery must be made to serve the greater vision,” she added.

 

Harry muttered again, this time twitching his head as if trying to wake from a bad dream.

 

“Des…troy Seaview?”

 

Karina glanced to her assistant, who nodded that his brain activity was still registering in the mode created to accept her words.

 

“Yes, destroy Seaview and all her hands,” Karina replied softly.

 

Harry’s head turned the other direction as a whimper escaped; he needed to wake up, because her words were now playing out in his dreams in full Technicolor; vividly acting out the possible means by which he could destroy Seaview. 

 

Even so, he fought the dream… this nightmare was too horrifying to allow to continue.  Finally, he gasped, waking himself from his dream as his eyes popped open while breathing heavily.  He was too confused by the drugs to realize that he was being manipulated in Karina’s laboratory.  Instead, his eyes fluttered closed again as the drugs took him back to sleep. 

 

“He has returned to deep sleep,” the assistant informed, indicating that in non-REM, Harry was incapable of dreaming.  “He will require the slow-wave sleep for memory consolidation,” the assistant reminded his superior.

 

“Very well, give him thirty minutes,” Karina replied, understanding that the common cycle was 60 minutes longer.  However, while the conditioning utilized the slow-wave N-REM sleep to reinforce the portfolio into the subject’s memory as facts, rather than just dreams; to allow the subject to deep sleep for the full 90 minutes would place the body in a restorative slumber and undo their work. 

 

The assistant set the timer, as Karina stepped out for a break, pleased that Harriman Nelson’s conditioning was moving along as planned.

 

Chapter Nine

 

Dr. Land was hunched over geothermal charts, his desk currently a deluge of papers, reference books, notes, charts, slide rules and half a dozen pencils in need of sharpening.  The colorful charts were taken from satellites and therefore, the task of deciding upon the very specific coordinates he needed wasn’t as easy as some might suppose.  He noted that the new geothermal signature covered several miles wide, but those readings weren’t as strong as one particular column.  Mining for the ore wasn’t yet feasible, but his readings indicated an underwater cavern, where obtaining an ore sample would be less intrusive, less time consuming, and most importantly, provide the least amount of radiation exposure. 

 

He stopped to stretch, checking his watch and frowning at the time.  He expected Nelson several hours ago.

 

“Dr. Land?” Fredericks, the leader of the security team Ramirez had put in place to ensure his safety, interrupted.

 

“Yes?” the middle-aged scientist replied, his brown hair swept to the side in a most distracted sort of way.  He was small-framed and on the thin side, mostly from skipping meals when too enthralled with his work to stop and take care of himself.

 

“We’ve just received a communique from Nelson.  It’s been authenticated by his security, Davis.”  He handed the message to the scientist and waited.

 

“Delayed due to weather,” Land read out loud.  “Admiral Nelson had to submerge to avoid a major weather pattern, he expects his new ETA tomorrow, mid-day.”

 

“He’s delayed 24 hours?” Frederick’s asked, his forehead wrinkling significantly in suspicion.

 

“Yes, it’s quite simple, let me show you,” Land said, taking a quick break from his work to grab a piece of discarded notebook paper as he spoke.  “You see, underwater FS1 is limited to 40-50 knots at best, and that’s quite efficient underwater,” he added, quickly working the math to show how long it would take to travel at that speed underwater as opposed to taking to the sky at Mach speed.

 

Fredericks nodded; satisfied with Land’s calculations and explanation.  “Should I update Washington on the set-back?”

 

“No, it says here to maintain radio silence,” Land informed, turning the message toward Fredericks to read himself.

 

“Aye Sir,” Fredericks replied, before perusing Land’s lab, currently in disarray due to several work stations, each with their own pile of papers and books open, all giving the doctor’s workspace the illusion of a terribly disorganized man.  However, each workstation housed the research required for a specific part of the project.  He moved from station to station, working on geothermal identification at one station, calculating the best site of ore retrieval at another station, and several stations dedicated to the chemical and mathematical analysis of the new geothermal signature. 

 

Fredericks had been with Land for several weeks, and had come to realize that the explosion of paperwork in the lab was actually very methodically maintained, even though he wished he could stack a few papers and books for the scientist.  His sweep of the room stopped and fixated on the doctor’s safe, which was partly open at present.

 

“Sir, may I suggest you keep the safe locked, even while here under our protection?”

 

“Oh, I was just doing some last-minute calculations before Nelson arrives,” Land explained, taking his black notebook from the station he was currently working at and moving toward the wall safe.  “It’s quite safe,” he said, stuffing the notebook in the safe and turning the combination wheel to secure it.

 

Frederick’s nodded, not taking anything for granted in his security detail and stepped out, hoping he could get the scientist to take a break for dinner tonight.  He sincerely worried that the scientist was over-working himself and intended to try and pry Land from his work for a solid meal and a good night’s sleep.  The cook had suggested that Land rather enjoyed his chicken parmesan and that he was baking fresh bread as well to try and coax the scientist into taking a well-deserved break from his research. 

 

“Thank you, Sir.  I’ll be right outside if you need me,” he said, and left to make his security rounds.

 

* * * * *

 

Karina rubbed the kinks out of her neck; her slender yet curvy frame was only partially hidden behind her white lab coat, while her spiked high-heeled shoes presenting a very pleasant view of her legs.  She sat down in front of a large screen and keyed in a code, a few minutes later a figure hidden in the shadows appeared on her screen; even on his private line Gamma didn’t take chances with his identity.

 

“The conditioning is proceeding along as planned,” she reported.

 

“Will he be ready in time?” Gamma asked, his bald head glistening under the subdued lighting despite the shadows.

 

“Yes father, I’m more concerned with whether the coordinates will be ready.  Everything hangs on our submarine intercepting Seaview before the ore is retrieved.”

 

“Our man on site has indicated that he will not fail us tonight.  He has convinced Land’s security that the good doctor is overworking himself.  Tonight, during dinner, the lab will be accessible.”

 

Karina nodded and then checked her watch.  “I must return to Nelson now.  This next phase is crucial in imprinting the portfolio into his brain patterns.”

 

Gamma blew a puff of smoke and nodded.  “I look forward to you next report,” he said signing off.

 

The screen went black as Karina cracked a smile, knowing that her performance of late had secured her father’s trust, as much as he trusted anyone that is.  To some he was a complicated man, but he was no mystery to her; Gamma loved power and money above all else, family was a distant third, yet family… loyal family members were ranked far above the hired help he employed.  She had no intention of challenging his power; she had seen his ruthlessness firsthand and was content to rule below him.  But he wouldn’t live forever, and when Gamma finally expired his empire would be hers.  Until then, she purposed to learn everything she could from his evil genius, soaking in everything she could, and reveling in the power he delegated to her in smaller, yet significant levels.

 

She pushed the rolling chair away from the communication’s station and smoothed out her white lab coat, then walked back towards the laboratory to continue her work on Nelson.  His sleep was nearly ready to cycle from deep sleep, where restoration and memory consolidation takes place, back through normal sleep phases until he achieved rapid eye movement once again.  The healthy sleep cycle engages the sleeper in dreams born out of experiences and memories; sometimes played out exactly as one remembers them during their wakefulness, but often combining odds and ends in a strange string of events that makes no sense to the fully awake individual.  Likewise, reoccurring dreams often transpire, some memories that had left a lasting impression in some sort of distress, others nonsensical ramblings.  To an individual not dealing with post traumatism, dreams are healthy as they allow the brain to stretch without consequence.  Indeed, a person with sleep disorders that don’t properly cycle, find their cognitive thinking greatly impaired, as well as their ability to utilize their memories effectively.  Many studies in fact, suggest that healthy sleep patterns are essential to learning and development.  All of which were well known to those conducting the conditioning.

 

In this case, Karina and her cohorts were utilizing their knowledge of sleep, and through drug manipulation had discovered an effective means by which to brainwash, or condition a subject into behaving contrary to their morals or established behavior patterns.  To this end, they had also reached the level of imprinting new motives behind their past actions, leading to a re-wiring of sorts regarding a subject’s relationships.  Even family and close friends weren’t immune from Karina’s imposing reach as she sought to break Harriman away from his strong attachments to the men he considered as close as brothers.  In Crane’s case, their surveillance had determined that Nelson harbored paternal feelings for the younger man.  In Morton’s case, it was established that Nelson regarded him as a close friend and a highly regarded protégé.  There was even talk that Nelson was working on a sister boat to Seaview and intended to appoint Morton as captain.  There were other strong ties to deal with, but those friendships and family members weren’t relative to their current mission.  Those would be dealt with when Nelson returned from his mission to destroy Seaview.

 

At present, her main task was to program a loyalty to Gamma strong enough to overcome his morals and convictions where his duty, crew, and close friends were concerned.  She had complete faith in her techniques, and smiled at the next thought; with every session, he was becoming exactly what his portfolio dictated. 

 

* * * * *

 

The assistant added another dose to Harry’s IV at Karina’s nod, then watched his monitors for the brain waves to reach the suggestive state of REM; a place where even outside influences can change the course of a dream as the brain registers activity around the sleeper and often interprets it into the dream.

 

Karina sat back, knowing that soon Nelson would be ready for his next session and waited patiently until his brainwaves produced the optimum patterns to begin.

 

* * * * * *

 

Harry’s mind had been focused on his friends, especially since he was receiving a portfolio contrary to his true beliefs.  Even as he dreamed, his brain tried to access the memories that would counter the strange new information trying to overwrite who he believed himself to be.  He settled in on a life and death struggle that he and Lee had weathered together. 

 

It had taken some extreme teamwork to keep from being one of the seven body bags hauled off Seaview during a mission testing a new set of computer systems.  They were in fact, two of only ten people on board Seaview; their mission was to ascertain whether the new computers could handle what it took a full crew to do. 

 

Chip had expressed his doubts in the wisdom of leaving the driving to the computers and by the time they had limped back into port the only survivors had been Lee, Tracy Stewart and Harry. 

 

It had been a close call for Lee after Chandler had booby-trapped a hatch with a grenade. 

 

“Lee!” Harry called, running toward his friend who was only now shakily trying to rise from the deck.  The explosion had been felt in the Control Room, where Harry and the remainder of the scientists and technicians were gathered.

 

He helped Lee to his feet, but it was clear that Seaview’s captain was anything but “fine.”  Harry guided him into a nearby cabin while Tracy applied first aid, looking into his eyes and noting unequal pupils, indicating a probable concussion.  Her years of nursing for her country doctor father had come in handy, even if Harry didn’t trust her to the point of verifying that the medicine she had chosen to give him wasn’t poison.  The truth was; Harry didn’t trust anyone on board; anyone, that is, but Lee.

 

They needed a change of game plan, and when another scientist was found dead, Harry knew it was time.  Lee was weakened by the concussion, but still able to play out the final gambit of faking Harry’s death by electrocution, a pre-arranged plan to take him out of the picture so that the killer would see him as a threat already dealt with.  The plan worked, but unfortunately, not before everyone except Tracy and Lee was eliminated by the ruthless killer.  Lee had mistakenly assumed that Tracy was the killer, even though physically, she would have been hard pressed to have drowned a man in an aquarium.  Even so, his pounding headache, fueled by the anger of seven body bags, distorted his reasoning as he chased a terrified Tracy Stewart through Seaview’s corridors, finally catching up with her and demanding her confession.

 

In the end, the real killer exposed himself as Lee and Harry both raced to the Control Room to keep Chandler from blowing up the Peace Ship.  Lee arrived first, but in his weakened condition, was no match for Chandler.  His intervention, however, had given Harry the time he needed to end the threat, shooting Chandler just as he was about to fire the torpedoes. 

 

Harry sighed in satisfaction, even in his dream.  He and Lee worked well together and the pride he felt for the younger man was akin to something deeper than just being best friends.  Harry had led an exciting life, and had pursued several fascinating women, but he had never settled down to marry.  He had no regrets for his decision to stay single; indeed, he had no idea until Lee Crane walked into his life, how much this father-son relationship would mean to him, even if he never spoke of it…

 

“Harriman,” he heard from afar as his dream instantly shifted to allow the voice in, becoming the central focus of his brain, still operating in dream mode with the help of Karina’s drugs.  “Dr. Gamma needs your help.  You are being activated to remove threats against him and his Vision.”

 

On and on she went, downloading a new realty into Harry; one so bizarre no one would ever believe it, but in his compromised state, Harriman Nelson was slowly becoming the man in Karina’s portfolio. 

 

Undying devotion to a madman; it was an oxymoron to the patriotic American Admiral who loved freedom and never shirked from his duty; and yet, she was slowly winning the battle. 

 

Gamma is a genius.  I am Gamma’s ally…

 

“Eliminate Gamma’s enemies,” Karina stated. 

 

Enemies?  Kill? Kill enemies.

 

“All who oppose Gamma and his vision are his enemies.  His enemies are your enemies.”

 

Even Lee, Chip?

 

“Kill Crane.”

 

Crane… Gamma’s enemy… my enemy… Kill Crane.

 

“Destroy Seaview.”

 

Destroy Seaview?

 

“Destroy Seaview.”

 

Destroy Seaview?

 

“Destroy Seaview.”

 

The cycle continued until Harry’s dreams no longer settled on the memories of Lee and Chip, and his faithful crew, nor the Boat he had built for exploration and freedom’s sake.  One by one those memories were relegated to a faraway place, accessed for their tactical benefit to his portfolio only, but harboring no emotions of friendship and devotion to anyone except Gamma. 

 

The last brick to fall was the order to destroy Seaview; because deep in Harry’s subconscious he knew that if he could save Seaview, he could save her crew.  This was his last battleground as Karina’s technique manipulated his mind into compliance.  It wasn’t his choice.  He had no choice.  He was programmed to be someone else… someone he would have abhorred… a traitor.  Still, the smallest part of his subconscious held onto finding a way out; a way to work past the manipulations of his mind.  He held out as long as he could, until…

 

“Destroy Seaview.”

 

Destroy Seaview?  Destroy Seaview.

 

* * * * *

 

Karina sat back, the last 23 hours had been exhausting, but now she was looking straight at the fruit of her labors.

 

“How are you feeling, Harriman?”

 

“I’m fit and ready for service,” he replied, checking the pistol she had just issued him and not flinching at all at her use of his first name; she was after all, Gamma’s trusted protégé, and a friend of the Vision.  He noted it was loaded and ready before sliding it into his holster.

 

“You and Davis will be leaving us shortly, but first I have an important task for you.”

 

Harry nodded, ready to do his part.

 

“A messenger will arrive on the lakeside with valuable information.  It’s the coordinates to Dr. Land’s ore deposit.  Retrieve the message and return it here, then we can discuss the best way to kill Crane and destroy Seaview,” she added, noting that he didn’t even twitch at her words, and getting great satisfaction out of Crane’s impending demise.  He had been a thorn in her father’s side for far too long.  He should have been court-martialed as a ruthless killing machine, and yet Nelson and Crane had somehow managed to beat the odds once again.  But now, the dynamic duo was going to be permanently dismantled with Crane dead at Nelson’s hand, and the admiral a servant to Gamma and his cause.

 

“Fine, I’ve already got some ideas,” Harry replied, understanding that he would have to use the resources on Seaview to accomplish these tasks as Land’s security team would no doubt make a thorough check of FS1 before they left to rendezvous with Seaview.

 

“Excellent.  I look forward to that conversation, Harriman.  You are a great asset to the Vision,” she encouraged.

 

Harry nodded his thanks; he was a man of action, not one prone to need or want compliments, but he was pleased to finally be of service to Gamma after all these years deep undercover.

 

Harry was led out of the complex back to the dock to a waiting boat.  FS1 was still tied there with the netting effectively concealing her, but he didn’t even take a second look; he was focused on his assignment of retrieving the coordinates.  He climbed in and started up the motor, and left unaccompanied; he was after all, a trusted member of Gamma’s team.  Once he reached the other side, he carefully tied the boat and walked the cement path that bordered the lake, stopping at the designated spot where he was to retrieve the information.  He waited along the walkway bordered by a stone and rod iron fence, watching for his contact, and never once considering that he could have taken the motor boat to safety.  Furthermore, never once considering that all alone and with a weapon in hand, he could disappear into the woods; or head for the nearby village, broadcasted by the smoke stacks in the background.  These thoughts never crossed his mind, because Harriman Nelson was now a servant of Dr. Gamma.  What was on his mind was the conversation he was going to have with Karina, on the best way to kill Crane and Destroy Seaview.

 

He would need both Crane and Dr. Land until the ore was located, after that they were to be eliminated as enemies of Gamma.  It would need to look like an accident, he decided, in case Gamma wanted to place him back into service in his role as a US Naval Officer.  He continued to ponder his options, silently thinking through the best course of action. 

 

He ignored the memory dream of risking his life to drag Lee out of that hell-hole ONI had sent him into, and harbored no feelings whatsoever for the fact that Lee had taken a powerful beating in order to protect him.  Lee had spent a week in sickbay, and another three weeks recovering from the internal injuries.  His captors had not been gentle in their pursuit of the information they needed to get to Nelson and his cache of top secret information, but none of this was of any concern to Harry. 

 

Nor was he impressed with their teamwork when he and Lee had saved the Peace Ship.  It had been difficult for Harry to play the role of a patriot, but he served Gamma’s cause deep undercover and had discovered that he was good at it.  He would rely on those same acting skills to continue to deceive Crane until the very end.

 

Destroy Seaview.  Harry lowered his head and pursed his bottom lip in thought, but there was no struggle going on within him; he was merely going through the various scenarios at which he could eliminate Seaview as a threat to Gamma’s Vision.  Killing Crane wasn’t enough; Morton was more than capable of commanding the great vessel.  The thought brought no remorse, nor did he question himself; after all, Gamma’s enemies were his enemies.

 

He remembered the time when Seaview sunk and the Reactor had been offline.  They had ten hours of air left… ten hours, too long, and he would also be subject to the thinning air.  No, he decided, the crew must be incapacitated, but I must have time to fulfill my mission and still escape, his true character of self-sacrifice buried too far down to be accessed. 

 

He remembered the sleeping gas he used to incapacitate Lee’s captors on the ONI mission and nodded to himself; it would be easy enough through Air Revitalization, he thought silently while scanning the woods for his contact; but how to destroy Seaview?  A new thought formed when he remembered their recent peril; a runaway reactor could destroy the boat in several hours, giving him plenty of time to escape to the waiting sub.  He calculated that Gamma’s sub could retreat far enough away to safely survive the shock waves.  Yes, a runaway reactor.  Once far along the path, no amount of dampening could stop it. 

 

Harry smiled to himself, pleased with his plan and unaware that his subconscious had scored a victory.  A small one to be sure, for it would take a miracle to access the memory it had buried deep down with the real Harriman Nelson… the knowledge of his new hypothesis of how to mathematically dampen the rods when the reactor was at its final stages before reaching critical mass. 

 

* * * * *

 

Harry motored the boat back across the lake, having retrieved the coordinates stolen from Dr. Land’s safe and unbeknownst to him, having passed the test that Karina had devised to ensure that he was fully programmed. 

 

Thompson and his men were there to tie the boat down as Karina joined him on the dock.

 

“The coordinates,” he said, handing the folder to the beautiful green-eyed brunette whose evil was only surpassed by her father, though he was completely blinded by his conditioning to recognize; indeed, he admired her devotion to the Vision.

 

She took the folder and opened the seal, then handed the coordinates to Harry.  “Commit this to memory, Harriman, and report to your superiors if Dr. Land’s coordinates change once you arrive at his secret laboratory,” she ordered, not sharing with Harry that the folder he had retrieved was just a copy, and that she had already received the information beforehand.

 

Harry read the coordinates, instantly memorizing them as his brilliant mind so often did.  “I have several plans ready to discuss for Crane’s elimination and Seaview’s destruction,” he reported.

 

“Excellent, we will discuss them as we outfit you with your communication’s device,” she said before turning for the complex as Karina and Harry walked side by side, returning to the fortress to receive a specially modified briefcase.

 

An hour later, and Harry and Davis were deep undercover once again aboard FS1; taking off and heading to Greenland where Dr. Land’s secret laboratory was located, just over an hour flight at Mach 2.

 

Chapter Ten

 

Lee leaned against the bulkhead with his arms casually folded across his chest in sickbay, having just gotten his clearance for full duty with no restrictions after his bout with hypothermia over three weeks ago.  He was even authorized to dive, unlike his best friend and XO, who was still moving stiffly, just three days after an attempt on his life in a near-deadly car accident.  Chip was presently sliding his uniform shirt on gingerly, trying to hide the grimace the whole affair produced.  The dark angry bruise on his side was only now beginning to fade into an awful purple hue with green edges.

 

“Okay, so you’re cleared to full-duty with the exception of diving,” Jamie stated.

 

“I can handle a dive, Jamie…” Chip started.

 

“Sorry Chip, but that’s the way it’s going to be.  You’re fortunate that the stick shift missed your right kidney, the bruising was deep enough to cause damage,” Jamie explained, stepping back and digging into his position.  “If it had, you wouldn’t be sailing with us today; I can tell you that now.”

 

Chip raised a hand, his shirt only half-way buttoned with his bruises visible under the partially opened shirt.

 

“Fine Jamie, no diving,” he conceded petulantly, but only because he knew he wasn’t going to win this round, “but full duty other than that, right?”

 

“Aye, full duty status,” Jamie replied, content that he had won the argument with what he considered, minimal resistance.

 

Seaview had set sail the day before as per their orders, and they were headed south-westerly towards Pearl, but knew that their final destination was still to be disclosed.  Harry and Dr. Land were scheduled to arrive tomorrow evening, though they were still on radio black-out and hadn’t had any contact with the Admiral since he shoved off several days ago.  Lee could only speculate that Harry was having the time of his life, noting how excited he’d been at the opportunity to dive into Land’s research data firsthand.

 

“Thanks Jamie,” Lee said, pushing off the bulkhead, as Chip put the finishing touches on his ever-present tie.  “We’ll get out of your hair… got a Boat to run,” he added with a grin.

 

“Just because you’re cleared for full-duty doesn’t mean you have to inspect vents and wiggle through torpedo tubes you know, Skipper,” Jamie admonished with a jestful smile, but also partly serious.

 

“No promises,” Lee added, half-way out the door with Chip following close behind.  As the door closed behind them, they could almost hear the exasperated sigh of Seaview’s CMO, resigning himself to the fact that he had the most stubborn set of commanding officers ever to sail the seven seas.

 

“You know, he’s going to be making unannounced checks to the Missile Room because of your crack back there,” Chip said with a small grin.

 

Lee raised an eyebrow and added his own grin.  “It’s good for him… gets him out of Sickbay,” he replied, before both officers broke out in a light chuckle as they headed for the Control Room.

 

The two days before shoving-off had been stressful, with Lee concerned that his crew would face further attacks, but thankfully, it had gone without further incidence.  With the Admiral safe and sound at Land’s lab, surrounded by a top-notch Navy SEAL security team and Seaview safely underway, he had allowed himself a brief moment of relief.  He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that the threat was over, but with the voyage finally underway, he did feel a measure of satisfaction that they had weathered the danger so far. 

 

They entered the Control Room from the aft hatch, with Chip heading straight for the Chart Table as Lee took the scenic tour, stopping to check on the Boat’s two most experienced ratings.  Ski and Pat were the eyes and ears of the Boat, with Ski on Sonar and Pat at Hydrophones.  With Riley beached back in Santa Barbara, Lee would have been hard-pressed to have replaced the pair currently manning the important stations.  His crew was cross-trained with several good operators to call upon, but Ski and Pat were simply the best.

 

“How are you two doing?” Lee asked from behind them.

 

“Doing good, Skipper,” Patterson replied.  “I feel fine.”

 

“Me too, Skipper,” Kowalski answered.  “Takes more than a little bump to sit me out,” he replied confidently.

 

Lee smiled at their sense of duty.  “Just don’t overdo it, I’m going to need both of you in top form,” he confided, losing his smile as his eyes expressed unspoken trust in their abilities given their important mission.

 

“Aye Sir,” they replied in near unison as Lee proceeded to the Chart Table.

 

“Report Mr. Morton.”

 

“She’s on course; depth 200 feet, and running at Standard, Sir,” the XO replied crisply.

 

Lee perused their position so marked on the chart and nodded.  “Very well, carry on… I think I’ll find a torpedo tube to inspect,” he said with a grin.

 

Chip cracked a small smile, not one to do so often in the Control Room, but it faded quickly as he watched Lee head aft for what he knew was going to be a very thorough walk about the Boat.  He’d known Lee for a long time, and wasn’t fooled by his captain’s seemingly light-hearted mood.  He was fully aware that Lee Crane wasn’t taking anything for granted, and that Seaview’s Captain was doing everything he could to ensure a successful mission.  It was something the entire crew counted on, because they knew that for their Skipper, a successful mission included bringing them all home again.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry had arrived at Dr. Land’s laboratory, and after a very satisfying day of digging into the data, he had agreed with Land’s findings and verified the coordinates for the best chance of the ore retrieval.  This role of admiral-scientist was easy to play, Land was unsuspecting and it gave Harry a chance to indulge in the science he loved.  Despite the success of the day, he was ready to hit the rack that night, and had settled into sleep quite willingly, slipping into dream-state several times over the course of the night.

 

Harry pulled the chair over closer to Lee’s bunk and carefully lowered himself down; they hadn’t gotten out completely clean and he’d taken a bullet in the shoulder.  It was a straight in and out, but it hurt like the dickens.  Even so, he still had the presence of mind to stop and toss a grenade over his shoulder utilizing his right hand.  Unfortunately, Lee wasn’t up to standing on his own two feet and crumbled to the ground, but the threat had been dealt with as Harry bore up under the pain and raised his friend back to his feet.

 

“Sorry Admiral,” Lee breathed out in pained breaths, regretful that he couldn’t aid in their escape any better.

 

“Don’t talk, Lee.  Concentrate on moving your feet,” Harry urged, wrapping Lee’s arm around his right shoulder and pulling his radio out with his left hand; a move that was extremely painful given the new holes his shoulder was currently sporting.

 

“Chief!  Fire up FS1, ETA two minutes,” the Admiral ordered.

 

“Sharkey too?” Lee asked, wondering who else bucked his orders to make this unauthorized, but much appreciated rescue.  ONI had sent him in to gather intelligence that turned out to be bogus, it was in fact, a trap to snare Crane for the purpose of getting to a bigger prize; Admiral Harriman Nelson.  He had infiltrated behind the border of a not so friendly country to do this, and had therefore drawn a Disavowal Disclaimer; an acceptance that he was on his own if the mission soured.  Seaview had been sailing in waters near enough to pull the duty as both the insertion and extraction vessel, but had explicitly ordered his crew to stand down should he miss the designated rendezvous point.  Harry had been off-boat at the time, returning in FS1 to find Seaview’s captain on assignment and overdue.  He didn’t waste any time tracking down his friend, and invoking admiral’s privileges to do so.

 

While Lee couldn’t say that he was sorry to have been liberated from his ruthless captors, he was very concerned to see that it was Harry who had put himself in harm’s way; the very person his tormentors were trying to capture.  For all he knew, he was the bait to bring the Admiral into this hell-hole in the first place.

 

Blood was currently running down Lee’s face making it hard for him to see, and his insides had been rearranged brutally from damaging blows to his mid-section and back.  His face was covered in dark bruises; all of which telegraphed a very injured Lee Crane.

 

“Yup,” Harry replied in a mock cowboy voice.  “You’ve got the Lone Ranger and his trusty sidekick, Tonto for this one.”

 

Lee’s chuckle morphed into a cough that produced bloody spittle and an unchecked moan at the damage inside.

 

“Hang on Lad, we’re almost there,” Harry encouraged, grimacing as his shoulder protested the workout since he was nearly bearing Lee’s full weight at this point.

 

Lee raised his head to see the flying sub bobbing along at the edge of a small pond; one so small he wondered how Harry had managed to land, but quickly dismissed the thought knowing that FS1’s creator was well-adept to the capabilities of the wonder vessel.  Sharkey met them about twenty feet from the yellow craft and took up Lee’s other arm, hastily helping to bring him inside.  He helped to deposit Lee on the deck, and dogged the vertical side hatch behind them as Harry moved to the pilot’s chair and buckled in.  A ping on the outer hull indicated that someone had caught up with them, causing Harry to yell over his shoulder.

 

“Everyone hang on!”

 

Sharkey grabbed a blanket from the bunk and dropped to his knees, ready to secure Captain Crane since they didn’t have time to place him in a bunk, but Lee had the presence of mind to grab onto a cargo ring.

 

Harry took the flying sub to its limit in a fantastic short take-off, with an equally impressive angle of attack that threatened a stall had the Admiral not leveled off slightly after clearing the trees.  Harry climbed to a safe altitude as Sharkey wrapped the blanket around the captain, silently noting the abuse he took.

 

“Let’s get you up to the bunk, Sir,” Sharkey suggested to Lee’s negative shake of the head.

 

“Can’t move, Chief… I’m good here,” he replied as Sharkey bit his lip and grimaced, knowing that Captain Crane’s inability to move at present signaled some real damage. 

 

“All right, Sir,” he conceded.

 

“The Admiral’s been shot,” Lee said, tilting his head back and swallowing hard.

 

“I’ll take care of it, Sir,” Sharkey promised.  “You just rest and I’ll be back to keep you steady when we submerge,” he promised.

 

The Chief grabbed the first aid kit from the supply cabinet and headed toward the Admiral. 

 

“Let me get you fixed up, Admiral,” Sharkey said, applying gauze and not waiting for Harry’s approval.  He applied a quick field dressing, knowing that that was all they had time for, and that the Admiral wasn’t in the mood for hovering.  “That should hold until the Doc gets a hold of you, Sir.”

 

“Fine.  Secure Crane, we’re going to submerge,” he replied, holding back a grimace to keep his pain private, but grateful for the good friend he had in Sharkey, despite their differences in rank.

 

“All set?” Harry asked, yelling over his shoulder.

 

“Got him!” Sharkey said, noting that Captain Crane had lost consciousness and figuring that was best as he wrapped his arms around his shoulders and held on for dear life as the flying sub converted from jet aircraft to submarine in one swift dive.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry blew out a breath, reaching up to rub his shoulder, currently tethered against his chest in a blue sling.  They had docked without incident, but Lee hadn’t regained consciousness, and was hoisted out of the deck hatch on a stretcher.  That was three days ago, and he was only now beginning to show signs of improvement.

 

“Hi Admiral,” Lee greeted airily, avoiding a smile to keep from opening back up his healing busted lip.

 

“How are you feeling, Lee?”

 

“Don’t know… Doc’s got me pretty souped up.”

 

“For good reason,” Harry replied.

 

“How ‘bout you, Sir?”

 

“Getting better every day,” Harry said, discounting his own pain to focus on his friend.

 

Lee sighed heavily.  “You could have been killed trying to get to me…”

 

“But I wasn’t,” Harry answered.  “You’re the one who looks like he’s been through a meat grinder,” Harry said, knowing now that Lee’s physical condition was a direct result of interrogations aimed at finding him.

 

Lee sighed.  “I was never happier to see you… and never sorrier.  If they had gotten to you…” he started full of emotion as Harry’s eyes sharpened, cutting him off.

 

“Do you think I could have stayed away any more than you, if our roles had been reversed?”

 

The rest of Harry’s dream was cut-off and abruptly snuffed-out as it moved to scenes and themes that lined up with Karina’s portfolio, where the strong emotions of devotion to duty and friendship quickly dissipated, mutating into the dreams of a man devoted to a twisted Vision.  And though Harry’s subconscious had fought to keep the dream sharp, it eventually succumbed to the place of most dreams… forgotten and unremembered.  Thus, his subconscious had lost the battle to bring forth the real Harriman Nelson, whose self-sacrifice had been demonstrated over and over again in his life, and whose circle of friends also showed the same level of dedication. 

 

Unfortunately, when Harry woke the next morning, he had no recollection of the dream showcasing his and Crane’s deep mutual friendship, nor Chief Sharkey’s unrelenting devotion to his duty and friends.  Instead, he carried on with his plans and continued his deep undercover work for Dr. Gamma, readying FS1 for departure to deliver Dr. Land and his coordinates to Seaview.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee waited at the deck hatch as the flying sub cycled through its final stages of docking.

 

“All clear,” Phil reported from his station at Sonar.

 

“Very well, crack the hatch,” Lee ordered, relieved that with the Admiral and Dr. Land safely aboard, he was that much closer to fulfilling his mission.  He still had personal reservations about opening this potential Pandora’s Box, but his duty was clear and his resolve equally so.

 

It was well into the Beta shift, but both he and Chip were there to welcome the Admiral aboard and see to the comfort of their guest.  Rodriguez turned the wheel and raised the heavy deck hatch then stepped back as Dr. Land climbed the ladder first.

 

“Welcome aboard, Dr. Land,” Lee said, greeting the slender scientist.

 

“Thank you, Captain Crane.”

 

“This is my First Officer, Mr. Morton,” he introduced as Chip escorted Dr. Land forward so that Harry could follow.

 

A head of auburn hair quickly appeared as the Admiral made his way into the Control Room.

 

“Welcome back, Sir,” Lee greeted with a professional smile, tinted with relief that Captain Ramirez’ security team had adequately protected both scientists from the enemy’s plans.  He would have to buy Mateo a drink after the mission, he decided silently.

 

“Hello Lee,” Harry greeted with a familiar closed mouth smile, playing his part well and knowing full-well that he’d have to keep his contempt for Crane buried deep down; they had another day yet to travel and he couldn’t risk his “best friend” questioning his actions.  Harry’s brow tightened as he watched Chip conversing with Dr. Land.  “He looks a little stiff,” he noted, attempting to show real concern for his “protégé” turned Executive Officer.

 

“Yeah,” Lee replied quietly.  “He’s still sore, but getting better.  Jamie cleared him for full-duty with the exception of diving.”

 

“Well, that’s good,” Harry replied, immediately retreating back to the detached emotions he was known for, when not engaging his fiery temper that is, and satisfied that he had shown the right amount of concern.

 

“Welcome aboard, Admiral,” Chip greeted, stepping forward.

 

“Chip,” Harry greeted with a nod, “Which guest cabin do you have Dr. Land set-up in?  It was a long flight, and I’m sure he’d like to freshen up.”

 

“Guest Cabin B, Sir,” Chip replied with a nod to the husky rating in his standard red jump suit currently holding Land’s bags.  “Ron will escort him there.”

 

“And Cookie’s got a late meal prepared in the Wardroom,” Lee added, understanding it had been an all-day flight from the secret lab.  “Marco will deliver your bag to your cabin, Sir.  Would you like him take your briefcase?”

 

Harry’s cheek twitched, but he recovered quickly.  “No, I’ll take this myself.  I’ve gotten pretty protective of the notes inside,” he replied with a small smile, as Lee responded with his own smile, sharing in the joke and knowing how diligent the Admiral could be on special projects.

 

“Very well, Sir.  I’ll let Cookie know to expect us in half an hour,” Lee replied, indicating that he and Chip would be joining them for the late dinner as well.

 

“Fine Lee,” Harry said, holding the briefcase tightly and heading for Officer’s Country.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry placed his briefcase on the bunk and opened it carefully; it contained a booby trap to gas any unauthorized personnel and therefore, had to be handled with care.  He checked the communication device inside and smiled; everything looked in good working order.  He wouldn’t be reporting just yet, so as not to alert the Radio Shack to his transmissions, so he closed the case and reset the booby trap then entered the head to freshen up for dinner. 

 

So far, everything was going as planned, now all he had to do was get through a meal with Crane and Morton.  He wasn’t sure why, but it was getting harder to feign friendships with the two men who had worked so hard against Dr. Gamma and his Vision.  He shook his head at the thought and smiled.  At least, that was something he wouldn’t have to do much longer, he thought callously and headed out of his cabin, stopping to lock his cabin door on the way out.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry greeted his dinner companions at the table as he arrived in the Wardroom, where Lee, Chip and Jamie were present as well as their guest, Dr. Land.

 

Harry chuckled in a barely disguised scoff.  “Well Captain Crane, you certainly spared no expense,” he said sarcastically, shaking his head and turning to Dr. Land.  “I’m sorry doctor, we usually treat our guests to their first meal in the Nose,” he apologized.

 

Lee was surprised by Harry’s reaction, but graciously smiled, explaining his decision.  “My apologies, Dr. Land, but with the lateness of the dinner I thought I’d give our cook and stewards a break.”

 

Harry smiled as if it were logical, but offered no consensus on his part to the soundness of Lee’s decision.

 

“It’s not a problem at all, Captain.  You can ask my security detail, sometimes I skip meals altogether when I’m working on a project,” the brown-haired scientist replied, apparently missing the terseness in the Admiral’s voice.

 

“How are your quarters, Dr. Land?” Lee asked, hoping to sail past the uncomfortable discussion and move on.

 

“Very nice, Captain Crane.  I’m amazed at the size of this vessel, and I didn’t expect my quarters to be so accommodating.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that,” Lee replied.  “If you need anything, just let Mr. Morton know,” he said, with a nod toward Chip.

 

“How far are we from the coordinates?” Land asked, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

 

“I plotted the course before arriving here, about eighteen hours,” Lee replied.

 

Harry tapped his fingers on the table, as if hardly interested in the conversation as the stewards served the salad.

 

“Dr. Land, have you been able to ascertain what kind of radiation levels the retrieval team will be exposed to?” Jamie asked, reaching for his fork.

 

“Well, it’s only an educated guess based on the geothermal signatures,” Land started, “but with protective gear and a Geiger counter I believe we’ll meet safety measures.”

 

“I’d like for you and Dr. Jamieson to meet tomorrow and make sure our field medical kit is properly stocked,” Lee noted to Jamie’s affirming nod.

 

“Of course,” Dr. Land replied agreeably.

 

“What kind of applications do you foresee for the Zycron 143?” Chip asked, joining in the conversation.

 

“Until we actually test the ore, it’s only a speculation,” the scientist qualified, “but I believe we are looking at the most powerful source of energy man has yet to discover,” he finished, barely keeping his excitement in as the salad plates were cleared away for the main course.  “And as such, could power this world into the next century, and even to the stars!”

 

Lee dipped his head slightly, knowing that such power could also be used to devise the most powerful, and deadly weapon this world had ever known.  He hadn’t intended on bringing it up tonight as a courtesy to his guest, and because his job was to retrieve the ore regardless of his own concerns, but Harry apparently noticed his reticence and decided to comment.

 

“You’ll have to excuse Captain Crane, Dr. Land,” he said smiling, though his irritation was still apparent.  “He has some concerns about the use of Zycron 143 in the wrong hands,” he added, with what Lee thought was a hint of sarcasm.

 

“There’s always the possibility of exploitation by evil-doers,” Lee defended.  “I’ve simply noted that if Zycron 143 pans out to be what you believe it to be, it has the potential of producing a weapon that could tear this world apart.”  

 

“You’re right of course,” Dr. Land conceded.  “But we mustn’t be afraid of progress for fear of evil,” he stated philosophically.

 

“I agree, Dr. Land,” Lee replied, “And I can assure you that my personal observations will in no way hinder the success of this mission.”

 

“The thought never crossed my mind, Captain Crane,” Land answered, his passion for his work complimented by his very pleasant personality.

 

The discussion was followed by a moment of uncomfortable silence as Harry chuckled.

 

“Well, now that that’s settled, how about we enjoy our dinner?” he asked rather facetiously as Lee smiled politely, wondering if the long flight had made the Admiral a bit grumpy this evening. 

 

The rest of the evening was less dramatic, for which Lee was grateful.  He wasn’t sure why Harry seemed a bit off tonight, but dismissed the snide remarks as the result of jet lag.  He was pretty tired himself, and was looking forward to hitting his rack after walking the Boat and checking their progress in the Control Room.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry entered his cabin and sighed disgustedly.  Putting up with Crane all night had been a chore, to say the least.  It was hard to feign respect for a man whose lack of vision was wrapped around his self-righteous morals.  He found Crane’s concerns for using Zycron 143 as a weapon far greater than hydrogen or nuclear bombs, to be pathetic.  If Crane had half the brains that he was purported to have, he would see Gamma’s genius and embrace the future.  Morton was no better and interacting with the blond Ken doll was just as nauseating.   Though he hadn’t exhibited the same concern as Crane regarding the ore, he was a weak “Yes-Man” who constantly sought to stay in good favor with his captain.  He blew a disgusted breath out, wondering how he had managed to work so deeply undercover for so long. 

 

At least after tomorrow, I’ll be free to work in Gamma’s service full-time, he thought with extreme satisfaction. 

 

He sat down at his desk and drew open his side drawer, reaching in and pulling out one of three tape style grenades.  He looked it over wistfully, completely at ease with his plans while cracking a one-sided smile.  Soon the world would know the wisdom of the Vision, he contemplated, it was almost as satisfying as knowing that Crane and Morton’s days were numbered.  He replaced the grenade and closed the drawer.  The flight had been a long one, and he was ready to turn in for the night; he needed his rest, tomorrow would be a very busy day.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry’s slumber cycled into dream state every 90 minutes, as it does for most normal sleepers.  Throughout the course of the night he experienced a confusing array of dreams; mixing the real Harriman Nelson’s dreams with those created by Karina’s portfolio.  His confusing night started with fond remembrances of dinner at McClintocks, as visions of dancing with cowgirls and Lee doing a line dance morphed into Willie Nelson singing “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys”.  Abruptly, it switched to the strange scene of him flying FS1 dressed as the Lone Ranger in a white spandex cowboy suit, while Chief Sharkey busily administered first aid to his shoulder dressed as Tonto, wearing a red bandana tied around a long dark wig.  He turned to check over his shoulder to see that the back of the flying sub had now transformed into the Blue Lagoon in Pearl Harbor where a dark-haired beauty flirted with Lee, not-so-subtlety making her desires known.

 

The sight of the woman immediately brought him to a laboratory without walls and surrounded by water, where the same dark-haired beauty stood with a hypo needle.  Scenes of his life over the years barreled toward him like a freight train as his subconscious tried desperately to reach Harry.  Conflicting scenes painted a very different Harriman Nelson, as the moral fiber of his true self fought with the tenaciousness of a bulldog, pleading with the brainwashed Nelson to wake up and question his present course.  Scenes of friendship and trust with the very men he had orders to kill flashed before him, as he remembered the times of hard-fought victory, the loss of devoted crew members, then good times and laughter, and the expressive eyes of his captain and friend urging him to believe that their friendship was stronger than Karina’s technique. 

 

However, just when his self-conscious was about to make a real break-through, Karina appeared in his dream, reinforcing the portfolio and the new life Gamma’s techniques had programmed into him.  Once again Harry’s true self was tamped back down into submission, to the point that the remainders of his dreams were dominated by his admiration of the evil doctor and appreciation for Karina, who had called him out of the unpleasant undercover work into the “light” of Gamma’s service.

 

He woke the next morning tired from the internal battle, but completely immersed in the traitor profile Karina had fashioned for him.  As he stood in front of the mirror styling his ample auburn hair, his thoughts were focused on finalizing his orders and the means by which to obtain his first objective.  It was followed very closely by his need to survive the demise he had planned for Seaview and her crew, as his usual devotion and duty to his men were overridden by a very uncharacteristic notion of self-preservation.  He had no clue that returning to Karina would entail completing his brainwashing and subsequently, make him a servant of evil for the rest of his days. 

 

Harry light-heartedly whistled as he packed his field belt with the tape grenades; despite the weariness from his subconscious battle, he had woken refreshed in the anticipation of completing his mission.

 

* * * * *

 

By mid-afternoon, Seaview was stationed 800 feet over the entrance to the underwater cavern system, some 1,522 feet below the surface of the ocean.  An unusual, if not bizarre freak of nature, had created a hollow cave system that had been identified by Land’s research as unflooded and sporting breathable air.  The entrance was small, negating the ability to use FS1 in the operation in favor of divers; the deep dive necessitating the need for the new tri-mix breathing gas that would protect the divers from the pressures of the deep.

 

Lee zipped his dive suit shut.  He was all business, focused on the safety of the dive and glad that Harry had for the most part, been in a good mood today; offering only one snide jab disguised as a light-hearted joke.  He was pleased to see Harry’s love for exploration rise above last evening’s unfortunate dinner conversation.  At least he thought he had the Admiral’s good mood pegged; he wasn’t sure, because when he looked into Harry’s eyes he saw something different than the usual twinkle in his eyes when he was about to embark upon a new discovery.  He couldn’t quite place it, but dismissed it as the least of his concerns before preparing to embark upon a potentially dangerous deep dive into a cave system housing a radiation rich mineral, and with the potential to be the greatest source of energy the world had yet to discover.

 

“The Chief and I have double checked the mixture,” Chip informed his captain, as he looked over the equipment.  “You have a lot of gear to carry, are you sure you don’t want Sharkey along to carry some of it?”

 

“No thanks, Chip.  The three of us can handle it,” Lee replied, zipping his forearm zippers as he prepared to don his tri-mix tanks.  “Now, we’ll be in contact every thirty minutes,” reiterating the dive plan.

 

“Aye Sir,” Chip nodded, just as their conversation was interrupted by an “Ahem” from behind.

 

“Any time you’re ready, Captain,” Harry called sardonically from the vertical dive hatch, his patience wearing thin and apparently not appreciating Lee’s last minute instructions.

 

“Ready Admiral,” Lee answered, making brief eye contact with Chip and passing a silent sigh for the return of Harry’s sour mood.

 

Chapter Eleven

 

Lee brought the last of the equipment on shore, stopping to set up the radio.  It was a rather bulky unit, but would ensure contact with Seaview, at least out here in the outer cavern where the radiation levels were minimal and interference would be the least.  Harry and Dr. Land were already peeling off their dive suits and spreading them on the nearby rocks as Lee turned on the unit and began transmitting.

 

“Crane to Seaview, Come in Seaview.”

 

“Morton here, we hear you loud and clear.”

 

Lee had expected to hear Sparks’ voice, but wasn’t surprised to hear that Chip was monitoring the transmissions from the Control Room; despite Harry’s and Land’s excitement about the new discovery, he still considered the retrieval mission a dangerous venture, and was pleased to note that Chip was taking it seriously as well.

 

“We’re at the landing site; so far Dr. Land’s research has been spot on.  The cavern is just like he mapped it out,” he complimented as he reported.  “We’ll get settled here, and then begin tracking down the Zycron 143.”

 

“Aye Sir.  We’ll be expecting your call,” Chip replied efficiently, noting the time and when to expect his next contact.

 

Lee secured the radio then started peeling out of his own suit.  He was the last to don the silver protective radiation gear and was strapping the utility belt around his hips when he caught a strange look in the Admiral’s eyes; almost disgust if he were reading him correctly. 

 

“I take it you’re anxious to go ore hunting,” Lee offered a bit drolly, getting tired of Harry’s attitude, despite his stars.

 

“Well that’s why we’re here now, isn’t it?” Harry droned back.

 

Lee ignored the response and reached down to pick up his yellow battery powered torch.  “Is there something wrong, Admiral?” he asked instead, reaching out to his friend and hoping Harry would lay-off the not-so-veiled criticism. 

 

“No, just ready to go, Lee,” the auburn-haired admiral replied, in a sing-song voice that reeked of disdain.

 

“Aye Sir,” Seaview’s captain replied, returning to Navy protocol and deciding to give Harry what space he could.

 

“Are we ready?” Dr. Land inquired excitedly, his eyes twinkling and completely missing the exchange between the two.

 

“Yes, Dr. Land, let’s go find us some Zycron 143,” Harry replied with the tight-lipped smile that Lee expected from the impending discovery, only… the familiar twinkle, akin to a child’s delight was missing, even with the fantastic new element they were about to verify. 

 

Lee didn’t have time to ponder it long as Dr. Land led the way, following the map his research had detailed out and monitoring the Geiger counter along the way.

 

* * * * *

 

They made their way through the cave, marking their path on the cavern walls and following the increase in radiation.

 

“We’re getting very close, Admiral,” an excited Dr. Land said, his eyes gleaming in anticipation.

 

“How much higher can the radiation go, Dr. Land,” Harry asked, looking over the readings on the Geiger counter hanging from the scientist’s neck.

 

“We’re almost at peak load now,” he answered without much worry, his excitement for the discovery overshadowing his concern.  “But no one’s really had enough experience with Zycron 143 to really judge.”

 

“Oh, well that’s a comforting thought,” Harry replied, chuckling in light sarcasm; Lee however, found nothing funny about the situation.

 

“Well, there nothing comforting to me about it,” he interjected.  “Here we are 1,500 feet under the surface of the ocean, and I’ve got a feeling we’re on a fool’s errand that can only lead to disaster,” he added candidly.

 

Harry’s eyes burned with the passion of his next words.  “If we don’t get the Zycron and it falls into the hands of some unfriendly power, they’ll have a weapon that could ultimately control the earth.”

 

“Yes, but as far as we know, Dr. Land is the only one who knows that the Zycron’s down here,” Lee countered, his own patience wearing thin after dealing with Harry’s attitude since he boarded Seaview.

 

“We’ve been through all this before,” Harry said, losing his patience for Lee’s continual lack of vision in the matter, but coming up with an argument fitting to his role as a patriot admiral.  “We do know that attacks have been made on Dr. Land and myself and attempts to subvert and brainwash the crew,” he added heatedly.

 

“We’re only wasting time talking gentlemen, there’s the element we’ve been looking for,” Land interrupted, his excitement never waning despite the heated exchange between Seaview’s two officers.

 

Harry and Lee followed Land’s lead, as he made his way into a dead-end chamber, finding the element he had been looking for.  His excitement escalated as he marveled at the amount of power available in just the deposit in front of them.

 

“If you’re right, we’re looking at enough raw energy to wipe mankind off the face of the earth,” Lee noted, still not convinced that man could be trusted with such power.

 

“Well that’s why we have to control it,” Harry countered, just as a quake rumbled the cave, sending showers of pebbles from the ceiling.

 

“We’d better not waste time getting our samples,” Lee suggested as Dr. Land inspected the rock face looking for the best place to obtain a sample, while the Admiral attempted to raise Seaview without success.

 

“The Zycron must be having some effect on the communications,” Harry noted.  “I’ll head back and make the call and bring back the sonic cutting tool, which he had conveniently left behind.

 

Lee nodded, as Dr. Land agreed jovially, still basking in the success of his work and the new element encased in the wall before him. 

 

Harry exited the small cavern and pulled a tape grenade from his utility belt.  His path was set and harboring no misgivings or concern for what he was about to do.  He unwrapped the tape, arming the device just as Lee turned to see him toss the grenade, a mere foot from their present position.  The result was devastating, the concussion knocking the unsuspecting men off their feet as they fell unconscious, while small rocks showered from above in the unstable cave made more precarious by the blast.

 

Harry pushed off the wall, protected from the blast and smiled at his handiwork.  Now all he needed was the sonic cutting tool.  He returned moments later and began securing his sample; the only sounds in the cavern, the laser and the sound of the Geiger counter warning of the peak radiation levels.  He worked quickly, not concerned by the fact that both Lee’s and Dr. Land’s head gear had fallen off and was offering no protection at present. 

 

He cut his sample away, securing it in his utility belt then noticed Crane stirring.  There was no compunction or sense of wrong-doing in his brainwashed state as he pulled a second tape grenade from his belt and lodged it in the wall, calculating where best to place the explosive to seal the two in an irradiated tomb.  Even Lee’s moans as he tried to regain consciousness didn’t reach the compassion that the real Harriman Nelson would have shown as he activated the device, then scurried to safety as heavy rock and debris rained down. 

 

He returned when the dust settled to a solid wall of rocks blocking the cave entrance and smiled.  Crane was dead; the blast from the explosion, the radiation, the second blast burying him and Land under tons of rock… no one could survive that.  

 

He left not knowing that the inner cave hadn’t collapsed completely and that the two men inside were still very much alive.

 

Harry arrived back at the cavern’s entrance to the sound of Chip’s hail.  He feigned a shaken man barely escaping a cave-in, and informed Seaview’s executive officer that Lee and Land were both dead; buried under tons of rock.  After sounding adequately shaken up about the matter, he quickly staved off Chip’s offer to send help, and informed the XO that he was on his way up.

 

* * * * *

 

On board Seaview, a distraught Chip Morton ordered a rescue dive, even though the Admiral had been adamant that Lee couldn’t have survived.  He leaned against the periscope island; the pain of just losing his best friend was too great to bear up under his normally unreadable command face, as the quick steps of Chief Sharkey headed aft.  A single tear fell from his face and landed on his hand as he grasped the island rail; he couldn’t do this… mourn Lee.  This wasn’t the place.  It wasn’t the time.  Chip pushed off the rail, ignoring several crewmen who were too shocked to look away; everyone had heard the Admiral’s report over the boat com system.  Life wasn’t making too much sense right now, but if there was one thing he knew, Lee would be counting on him to take care of Seaview and complete the mission… but he also knew that he couldn’t believe Lee was dead until the body was recovered.  Maybe it was foolish… perhaps it was, but he held onto the smallest glimmer of hope that the Admiral had been too shaken to know for sure. 

 

He pulled himself together and turned to face the Control Room, his unreadable command face plastered back on.

 

“As you were men, we have a Boat to run,” he admonished, leading by example and pulling the men from their doldrums before heading aft to meet the Admiral and send off what he hoped was a rescue party and not a recovery operation to bring back the bodies.

 

Each man turned to their stations, determined to do their job and knowing that if Mr. Morton could do it, they could too.  No one there could discount the Exec’s pain, he and the Skipper were close, brothers even; and so they put their best attention into their work, seeking to make Captain Crane proud and Mr. Morton’s job a little easier.

 

* * * * *

 

The last of the water pumped from the diver’s hatch as Harry put on a grief-stricken face.   He feigned weak steps forward as helping hands sought to help him over the knee knocker hatch, and noticed immediately that Sharkey and Patterson were suited up to dive.  He would have preferred them to stay on board, but he’d have to deal with them later; right now, he needed to report.  After staving off Morton’s attempt to take him to Sickbay, he shrugged off the helping hands to move off by himself.  His ploy worked, as Morton and the crew assumed he was mourning Crane’s death and needed space.  He unzipped his suit and watched as the Chief and Patterson entered the dive chamber, all the while having to suppress the smile of his contentment.  Crane was buried under tons of rocks; even if by chance he managed to survive in a hollow space between rocks, the thinning air would finish the job; and he had the added insurance of Zycron 143’s radiation to give him the assurance he needed to report his success to his superiors.

 

Harry left the somber missile room without the least bit of remorse for his deed; his subconscious buried too far underneath the over-powering mind-control technique.  The fact that he had killed his “best friend” meant nothing to the Harriman Nelson shaped by Karina.  His subconscious had no place to battle from during his waking hours, leaving a warped man to occupy and control the body of his true self. 

 

He arrived in his cabin, quickly changing and anxious to report to his superiors, his need to satisfy them deeply reinforced through the brainwashing, as deeply in fact, as the selfish sense of self-preservation they had placed within him to return and complete his “training” for Gamma’s service.  Somehow, it all made sense to Harry as he opened his briefcase and powered on the sophisticated communication’s device found inside.

 

He reported with pride and confidence that both Crane and Land were dead, sealed under a load of rocks and no longer of any concern.  Crane would never interfere with the Vision again, and Dr. Land’s knowledge and research would be lost to all but Dr. Gamma’s organization. 

 

“Did you obtain samples?” his superior inquired.

 

“Yes, I have a sample with me aboard Seaview,” Harry responded.

 

“What about Crane and Land?”

 

“They’re dead,” Harry replied flatly.

 

“You are certain?” his superior pressed.

 

“I’m certain.”

 

His superior was pleased as Harry continued to report on the location of the cave’s entrance, Seaview’s position, and his scientific observations regarding the ore deposit, which he estimated as a concentrated mass of 100 tons.  He was in the middle of a sentence when a light indicated that the frequency had been intercepted and hastily signed off.  He closed the briefcase and deposited it on his bunk, making sure to reset the booby trap, just as he heard a knock at his door.

 

“Admiral Nelson, are you in there?”

 

Harry unlocked the door and opened it, pasting on a friendly smile.

 

“What is it, Kowalski?”

 

Ski entered the cabin terribly embarrassed, but fulfilling his duty to investigate the reading on his signal analyzer nonetheless.

 

“I traced a radio transmission from your cabin, Sir,” he said apologetically.  “Sparks has been tracking some sort of weird signal and Mr. Morton asked me to track it down.”

 

“Oh, and your signal analyzer led you here,” Harry stated sardonically.

 

“Yes Sir, I know it sounds screwy, but that’s what happened.”

 

Harry urged him to try again, leaving Ski feeling more than a bit awkward, but he ran the device through the cabin only to verify that no such signal was found.  Ski shook his head perplexed and embarrassed.  He apologized and started to leave when the Admiral stopped him.

 

“No wait, if there’s a signal we have to find it,” Harry urged, realizing that he had to stay above suspicion until he could carry out his plans to neutralize the crew; he couldn’t risk Kowalski reporting the matter and urged him to try and locate the signal, suggesting that perhaps his cabin had been bugged with a listening device.  He coached the rating along to the briefcase and stepped back as the unsuspecting seaman received a shot of nerve gas, stumbling and falling to the deck, completely immobilized and instantly unconscious.

 

Harry waited for the gas to subside using a gas mask to protect himself, then reestablished communications with his superior.

 

“That was a crewman; they’re picking up our transmission.  I stopped him from reporting.  Look, I’ve got to get off this submarine,” Harry declared, his need for self-preservation kicking in just as his conditioning dictated.

 

“Not before you complete your mission.  You do remember what your mission is?”

 

“Of course, I remember,” Harry replied in a huff.  “Destroy Seaview,” he finished, refocused and ready to follow orders.

 

* * * * *

 

Sharkey and Patterson made their way into the underwater cave, divesting themselves of their tanks and flippers and noting the two sets of wet suits belonging to the Skipper and Dr. Land.  They exchanged concerned glances, but neither one commented as they shed out of the dive gear and donned their protective anti-radiation suits.  They collected their digging equipment and headed into the cave system following the markings the Skipper had left previously, reaching the cave-in just in time for another earthquake to shake loose more rocks. 

 

“That wasn’t too bad,” Sharkey commented optimistically after the tremor passed.

 

“Yeah, we’re still alive,” Patterson replied sarcastically, the two exchanging concerned glances before getting busy with the digging.

 

“It looks like there’s some sort of open space back there,” Sharkey noted with guarded hope, as he leaned in close.

 

“Skipper!  Skipper, can you hear me?” he called, knowing that the chances for survival had increased dramatically since it wasn’t a complete cave-in.  “Skipper, if you can hear me, we’re digging our way through to you.”

 

Sharkey stopped to listen, and was rewarded with the captain’s voice; raspy and weak, but alive!

 

* * * * *

 

Lee had tried to rouse himself several times, each time he had come close his mind replayed the scene of Harry standing in the cave opening and tossing in a grenade at their feet.  He had lost the battle to awaken completely until he heard someone calling him.  The voice was enough to bring him around this time, as he shakily raised himself to his knees.

 

“Skipper, if you can hear me, we’re digging our way through to you.”

 

The voice sounded as if it were coming from the far end of a tunnel as Lee worked through his pained confusion.  He moved shakily to the cave wall closest to the voice he now recognized as Chief Sharkey’s.  His body was barely cooperating, having suffered from the explosion’s concussion, followed by falling rock and debris, not to mention the effects of the buildup of radiation from the sealed cave.  He wasn’t able to gather his voice to speak until he had settled in against the cave wall, trying to shake the cobwebs from his brain as Sharkey continued to call to him.

 

“Chief,” he replied, reaching up to rub his pounding head.

 

Patterson whooped his elation at the realization that Captain Crane was alive, but his celebration was squashed as Sharkey got down to the business of the rescue.

 

“What’s the setup in there, Skipper?” he asked, needing to know what they were up against.

 

“I’m alright,” Lee stammered, his voice giving away his physical condition at present.  “I’m just shaken up a little, but I… I can move all right.”

 

Sharkey exchanged a worried glance mixed with elation that the Skipper was alive, but both men knew that his admission of being “shaken up” had been validated in his weak voice.

 

“Keep talking, Skipper,” Sharkey urged.

 

“Dr. Land’s in a bad way, the explosion nearly killed him,” Lee reported, his voice growing stronger as he spoke.  “The Admiral set it off,” he added sadly, an unexpected tear falling down his cheek as he spoke aloud what he had witnessed with his own eyes.  It made no sense, but something had been off with Harry ever since he came aboard.  Though he couldn’t understand it, he knew he only had one recourse left.

 

“The Admiral?” Sharkey repeated incredulously.

 

“That’s right.  Now get to the radio and tell Mr. Morton that I want the Admiral confined to his quarters till I get back on board.”

 

“Sir… the Admiral?” Sharkey repeated, hardly able to contemplate what Captain Crane was telling him.

 

“Tell him,” Lee ordered.  “Now move!”

 

“Aye Sir,” Sharkey acknowledged, obeying his orders with a heavy heart.  He made his way back to the outer cave and made contact with Seaview, reporting that Captain Crane and Dr. Land were both alive.

 

“Is he badly hurt?” Chip inquired, his relief only equaled by his concern for Lee’s condition.

 

“Well enough, he’ll be okay once we get him out; but that’s not why I’m calling,” Sharkey reported, his strange answer demanding a response from the XO as Sharkey informed him of the Skipper’s orders. 

 

“Arrest the Admiral?” Chip repeated incredulously; not quite able to believe it at first, even reprimanding Sharkey for the timing of his bad joke.

 

Sharkey repeated his orders then explained.  “He’s dangerous, Sir.  He blew up the tunnel and tried to kill the Skipper and Dr. Land.  The Skipper wants him kept harmless till he gets back aboard.”

 

Chip blew a breath out, acknowledging his duty and ordering Sharkey back to rescue Lee.  He shipped the mic and sighed; with the strange transmission on board, then Kowalski going AWOL and not responding to hails… well, it looked like things were falling into place, however incredulous it might seem.  His duty was clear, as he formed a detail and headed to Harry’s cabin, armed and ready to take Admiral Nelson into custody.

 

Unfortunately, by the time they got to Harry’s cabin he was gone, but their question of why Kowalski hadn’t answered the hails had been answered as the detail hurried the unconscious seaman to Sickbay.  There was no longer any reservation on Chip’s part as he leaned over Harry’s desk, issuing a boat-wide call to seize Admiral Nelson straight from his own intercom; his relief that Lee was alive was now taking a backseat to the manhunt aboard Seaview, as he ordered all available hands to search for the renegade admiral.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry heard the boat-wide announcement, but wasn’t concerned as he headed straight for Air Revitalization with his briefcase in hand.  He dispatched two crewmen handily then proceeded to open the case, initiating the gas through the ventilation system.  He quickly donned his oxygen mask and waited for Seaview’s crew to succumb to the gas.  It wouldn’t take long he knew, and waited till he was sure the entire boat had been affected before leaving the compartment.

 

Seaview was eerily quiet as clouds of gas poured through the vent system, reaching every part of the Boat.  Harry walked Seaview’s corridors passing crewmen all along the way; unconscious and unaware of the impending danger the Admiral was about to bring upon them.   By the time he reached the Control Room the gas was nearly dissipated, and as he expected, the entire crew was neutralized by the nerve gas. 

 

He walked the deck, looking for one man in particular.  He wanted to know specifically that Morton was immobilized, to make sure that his last obstacle had been dealt with.  He found Seaview’s first officer collapsed at the periscope island, the mic still held in his hand, no doubt trying to issues orders until he finally succumbed.  He wasn’t impressed by Chip’s devotion to duty, pulling him back by the collar, and watching his head roll unresponsively on his shoulders.  He deposited him back against the island without a hint of remorse, before callously shipping the mic on the periscope island.

 

Harry was driven by the programming of his portfolio with absolutely no sense of warring going on inside of him.  Nor was he concerned about the young man who had barely survived a roll-over car accident less than a week ago, or the fact that he had just killed Seaview’s captain, as far as he knew.  Thus, he acted completely within the will of his “superiors” and reached for his radio to report that Seaview’s crew had been completely immobilized, but that two crewmen were still unaffected.  His superior wasn’t happy with the revelation, but informed him that a landing party would take care of Sharkey and Patterson at the cave.

 

“What is your next step?” his superior inquired.

 

“The destruction of Seaview,” Harry replied without emotion or regret for the hands on board, or the vessel he had created for the dual purpose of the betterment of mankind through the exploration of the seas and national security.

 

“Your plan?” his superior pursued, his voice flat and his tone condescending as he conversed with the puppet that Nelson had become.

 

“Wait… wait, your submarine will be standing by?” he asked, seeking reassurance that his getaway was ensured before continuing, his need to survive demanding encouragement.

 

“It will.”

 

“Then I’ll just let the Reactor run wild; there’ll be nothing left of Seaview but nuclear dust,” he answered, completely lost in the role of traitor and murderer, and without an ounce of moral fiber left available to him to even question his actions.

 

* * * * *

 

By the time Sharkey returned, Patterson had made enough headway to get a good view inside the cave.  Captain Crane lost consciousness once again, having taken most of the force of the explosion being nearest to the blast.  Another tremor rained more rock down as the unstable cave system showed signs of its imminent collapse. 

 

“We’d better work fast!” Sharkey urged as he and Patterson labored to reach the stricken men.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee came to in the outer cavern slightly disoriented, but quickly assessing the situation.  He’d been given an anti-radiation shot by his rescue party, and felt better for it.  He raised his head, noting Dr. Land unconscious beside him, then searched his surroundings expecting to see Sharkey and Patterson reporting in, but instead saw a diver he didn’t recognize holding a weapon he’d never seen before.  Even in his compromised physical state, he was able to put two and two together, sizing up the hostile as he walked his sentry duty.

 

With no other weapon at his disposal, Lee grabbed a nearby rock as the black-clad diver turned his back, and issued a blow to the back of his head.   It should have sent the diver into unconsciousness, but the resilient man fought back as Lee reached for the discarded weapon.  He lunged at Crane, but Lee used the laser gun to push off the attack before issuing a blast, rendering the enemy diver harmless. 

 

Lee took a deep breath in, quickly assessing the situation before moving to the medical field kit first.  He checked Land’s pulse first, satisfying himself that the doctor was stable before reaching for the smelling salts to revive his downed men.  The salts had little effect, so he moved to the radio issuing a distress call to Seaview, but received no reply.  He blew a breath out, feeling weakness he couldn’t succumb to with an apparent attack on his crew and Seaview out of contact.  Now wasn’t the time for gentleness, he needed to get to Seaview and find out why she wasn’t responding, so he patted Sharkey’s face in a desperate move to wake Seaview’s COB. 

 

“Come on, Chief,” he urged and was rewarded with the moans of a man returning from a not-so-pleasant trip to a forced nap.

 

Sharkey was somewhat dazed, but was able to explain that they had been ambushed by enemy divers.  Lee didn’t miss a beat despite his pounding head, as he realized that he had only taken out one hostile and that two more remained unaccounted for. 

 

“They must have gone into the tunnel.  We’d better be ready for them,” Lee urged, reaching for a discarded utility belt and finding what he needed inside.

 

“What about Patterson and Land?” Sharkey asked.

 

“Patterson’s alright; as far as Dr. Land, his only hope is to get him to Seaview.”

 

“Still no word, huh?” Sharkey asked, concerned for his shipmates.

 

“Nothing.  I tried to get them while you were out, nothing,” Lee answered worriedly, readying a tape grenade for immediate use.

 

“I’ll wake Patterson,” Sharkey said, but before he could say anything more the enemy divers appeared at the tunnel’s entrance with their weapons drawn. 

 

Lee pulled the tape to activate the grenade and tossed it deftly at their feet and the subsequent explosion brought a wall of rock and debris down on the men, silencing their threat forever.

 

Their next step was clear, if Seaview couldn’t launch a rescue party, then they would have to save themselves.  Dr. Land’s anti-radiation shot had kicked in enough for him to be revived, though he was noticeably shaken and ill.  Still, they had no choice but to make the swim back to Seaview, despite the doctor’s weakened condition.

 

Chapter Twelve

 

 

Harry headed to the Missile Room to suit up and rendezvous with the approaching submarine when he received a hail from his superior informing him that the sub had been damaged in the last quake and would be unable make the rendezvous for another thirty minutes.  He was ordered to remain aboard even though the reactor was building to blow in twenty-five minutes.

 

“Look, we had a clear understanding,” Harry countered, his programmed self-preservation insisting he leave before the reactor reached critical, though he harbored no concern for the unconscious men strewn around the Missile Room. 

 

“Whatever understanding you have has been implanted by our techniques.  You will obey orders without qualification.  Is that clear?” his superior demanded as Nelson sighed, having no choice but to relent and completely compelled to obey.

 

Though he still had the flying sub in his back pocket as an escape vehicle, his superior’s order had been clear; remain on board.  

 

Harry pursed his lips in determination, his tenacity and strength of will currently being used against him as he sought to obey his orders, stepping over downed crewmen as he headed to check on the Reactor’s progress.

 

Once there, he was interrupted once again by a call from his superior. 

 

“This is Nelson, come in.”

 

“What is your current status?”

 

“The Reactor is building to critical mass… explosion in about nine minutes,” he reported, no longer concerned about leaving Seaview as his need to obey apparently superseded his need for self-preservation.

 

His superior informed him that they had lost contact with their landing party and were concerned that Sharkey and Patterson had somehow managed to overcome their attackers and could possibly attempt to stop the destruction of Seaview.

 

“They’d never be able to do it,” Harry replied, confident that no one could stop the imminent blast.

 

“See that they don’t,” his superior ordered, without regard for the fact that he had now doomed Harry to the same fate as Seaview.  “Your task still remains the same.”

 

“Alright, it’s as good as done,” Harry replied, his need to obey firmly programmed into him.  “Out,” he said, signing off and heading to the Control Room to monitor the status of possible approaching divers.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry reached his destination, turning on the external video monitor and focusing immediately on divers approaching Seaview.  He scowled at the discovery that it wasn’t just Sharkey and Patterson approaching, but Crane and Land as well.  His need for self-preservation took a backseat to his primary orders to destroy Seaview at all costs, helped along by the twisted hatred he now possessed for Lee Crane.

 

A quick surveillance of the Control Room revealed the crew still under the influence of the nerve gas as Harry remembered an event from a previous voyage.  It started out being a mission to test new computer equipment capable of running the large submarine with minimal personnel, but ended up being a death ship.  He smiled deviously, recalling a booby trap that Lee had inadvertently walked into and moved to the Arm’s Locker, securing a canister grenade.

 

Time to set a little surprise for Crane, he reveled silently, his thoughts full of malice as he headed aft.

 

* * * * *

 

If the lack of communication with Seaview wasn’t enough, the fact that no one met them at the dive hatch sealed their suspicions that something catastrophic had occurred aboard the Boat. 

 

“Skipper!” Sharkey called; the first to spot an unconscious rating, slumped over his workstation. 

 

“He’s alive,” Lee breathed out, checking the crewman and relieved that whatever had been used to immobilize the crew had apparently not been deadly.

 

“What happened to him?” Sharkey asked incredulously as Captain Crane sighed deeply, while surveying the Missile Room and the eerie view of their shipmates sprawled across the deck. 

 

“I think we’re both guessing the same thing,” Lee replied, honing in on Admiral Nelson as the obvious culprit.

 

“The Admiral, huh?” Chief replied remorsefully.

 

“Something’s wrong with him.  I don’t know why, but he tried to kill Dr. Land and me,” he answered regretfully. 

 

He and Sharkey were still trying to wrap their minds around the situation when Dr. Land, whose illness had rendered him quite weak, interjected to suggest that Admiral Nelson had been brainwashed.

 

“Brainwashed?” Lee repeated shocked by the suggestion, but realizing that it would account for Harry’s strange behavior.

 

“He was twenty-fours late in meeting me,” he further explained, something he never bothered to mention earlier since the notification had seemingly come through all the right channels.  He had completely assumed that Captain Crane was aware of it, and not knowing Admiral Nelson very well, had missed all the signs that something was wrong.

 

Lee blew a disheartened breath out; everything all of the sudden becoming crystal clear, just as Dr. Land collapsed into Pat’s arms.  He was considering their next steps when a hail was heard over the boat com system as the condescending, sardonic voice of Harriman Nelson filled the Missile Room.

 

“Lee,” he called with more than a hint of disdain.  “Lee, this is Nelson.  There’s an old saying, Lee, about leaping from the frying pan into the fire.  Well, that’s what you’ve done, by coming back aboard,” he threatened as Lee moved to the mic.

 

“Admiral,” he answered, hoping to reach the real Harriman Nelson with his voice.  “Admiral, it’s Lee.  Listen to me.  I don’t know what you’ve done… or what they’ve done to you, but you’ve got to stop,” he urged, his concern for his friend apparent.  “Admiral, let me talk to you, that’s all I ask,” Lee suggested with the hopes of either reaching Harry or incapacitating the Admiral’s ability to do further harm.  “Just… let me talk to you.”

 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Harry replied, his course set and feeling nothing but the contempt of Karina’s portfolio for Crane.  “I’ve pulled the rods on the reactor and it’s going wild.  In a few minutes, it will reach critical mass, and all of us here will be part of the cloud of dust that was Seaview,” he stated victoriously, before abruptly severing the line.

 

“He couldn’t do it, Skipper.  He just couldn’t do it,” Sharkey said incredulously, reasoning that brainwashed or not, Admiral Nelson was incapable of destroying Seaview and consequently killing all hands on board.

 

His assertion was proved wrong however, when the sub was rocked by a violent explosion that knocked all four men off their feet, tossing them around like rag dolls as Seaview lost trim and headed nose first in a dangerous plunge before crashing onto the ocean floor with a devastating jolt.

 

Seaview’s men found their way to their feet, as Sharkey reasoned that the explosion couldn’t have been the reactor since they were all still alive.

 

“But it was,” Lee corrected as Patterson steadied an ill Dr. Land.  Lee placed a hand against his mid-section, the anti-radiation shot not enough to stave off the growing illness from the radiation exposure, as he continued.  “Fortunately, the safety valves vented and most of the explosion was vented into the sea,” he postulated, “but the main force is still building.  Look,” he said, noting Land’s deterioration, “I’ll take care of the reactor; you two get Dr. Land to the decontamination chamber.”

 

“What about the Admiral, Sir?” Sharkey asked saddened by the fact that Nelson was being forced to play a part that was certainly not his true character.

 

“We’ll face that when we run into him.”

 

“How, Sir?” Sharkey pressed, leaving unsaid his real question of just how far they should go to “stop” the Admiral.

 

“If we have to… we’ll kill him,” Lee stated resolutely, not out of malice or revenge for the man who tried to bury him alive in an irradiated cave some 1,500 feet below the surface, but out of duty to the 125 other men aboard who were counting on him to get them home.

 

Sharkey nodded regretfully as they quickly changed, then armed themselves before following Captain Crane to the hatch.

 

Lee opened the door slowly assessing the safety of the corridor, but as soon as he cleared the hatch he found himself taking fire.  He made it to cover, returning fire as Harry retreated.  With the way clear, Lee urged his men out of the Missile Room; there wasn’t a moment to spare.

 

“The Admiral, Sir?” Sharkey asked, still having a hard time believing that the man he respected so much could be trying to kill them.  He knew it was the brainwashing, and reasoned that if they could just reach the real Harriman Nelson, his true self would break free from the programming. 

 

“Get going with Dr. Land,” Lee ordered as Sharkey quickly acknowledged helping Patterson maneuver the stricken scientist across the hatch.

 

“Sir, maybe I could… well with the Admiral being…” he stammered, hoping to come along and seeking to find a solution other than killing Seaview’s creator.

 

“You’ve got your orders, now get going,” Lee ordered unable to succumb to his own deep feelings regarding Admiral Nelson.  His resolve was set realizing that Dr. Land required treatment in the Decontamination Chamber; the truth was they both did, but his would have to wait until Seaview was safe and Harry was stopped.

 

“Aye Sir,” Sharkey agreed reluctantly, taking up Land’s other arm to help the ailing scientist as Lee took an alternative route to the Reactor Room.

 

He took cautious steps, not knowing where Harry was, and trying to avoid being shot on his way to the Reactor.  When he arrived at the yellow wheel hatch he found the way clear, and stopped to look inside the window to make sure Harry wasn’t inside guarding the rods.  Seeing only unconscious crewmen, Lee turned the wheel and found himself on the other side of a rigged hatch as a canister grenade exploded, sending him careening back across the deck unconscious, at the brunt end of an explosion for the second time that day.

 

* * * * *

 

Sharkey had followed the Skipper’s orders to a “T”, delivering Dr. Land to decontamination then leaving Patterson to stand guard.  He followed his next orders happily as he rushed through Seaview’s corridors to help Captain Crane find the Admiral, once the Reactor was dealt with.  He had almost reached his destination when he felt an explosion; he turned on the speed to find the Reactor hatch open.  He was about to step in when he spotted the Skipper on the deck, quickly checking his pulse and determining that he was stable for the time being.  The most important thing right now, is fixing the Reactor, he reasoned, and started for the hatch.  He only took a few steps, however, when his forward progress was impeded by a warning shot.  Sharkey spun, drawing his sidearm in the process and coming face to face with Admiral Nelson.

 

“Chief, get away from there,” Harry warned with little recognition for his friendship with Seaview’s Chief of the Boat.

 

“Sir, the Reactor’s going to go.  We got to get in there and shut it down,” he pleaded, believing with all his heart that if he could just lay it all out, the Admiral would fight back and beat the brainwashing.

 

“No, nobody is shutting it down.  Just stay away from the hatch,” he ordered.

 

“I can’t, Sir,” Sharkey pleaded.  “I’ve got to get in there; I just can’t let the Seaview go up in smoke.”

 

“Oh, she’s going up all right,” Harry replied callously.  “I have received my orders, destroy the Seaview, and I’m going to carry them out,” he repeated, an utter puppet to his superior’s orders.

 

Sharkey couldn’t believe what he was hearing, as he desperately tried to reason with the Admiral.

 

“Please Sir, I don’t know what they did to you, or why you’re acting this way, but I’ve got to get in there and shut that Reactor down… even if I have to kill ya’,” he stated regretfully, knowing his duty despite his good friend.

 

Harry smiled, and for a split-second Sharkey thought that he’d gotten through.  I mean, this is the Admiral, we’re talking about, he thought silently.  We’ve served together, overcome great odds; even struggled for survival battling dinosaurs for goodness sake!  Surely, the Admiral would remember!

 

But Sharkey’s faith in the Admiral was shaken to the core when Harry callously pulled the trigger, hitting him high in the left shoulder; just mere inches from a kill shot to the heart.

 

Harry stepped forward, ready to finish off Sharkey, taking complete satisfaction in knowing that he was going to fulfill his mission.  These were his orders… his greatest duty to serve Dr. Gamma and the Vision.  He had no remorse for the loss of life, even his own meant nothing in comparison to completing his mission to destroy Seaview.  Suddenly, he heard an unexpected voice from behind him and turned sharply toward Dr. Land’s voice, but before he could acquire his target he took a blast from Land’s laser gun and fell heavily to the floor.

 

Sharkey and Patterson’s attention was focused on Admiral Nelson, as Sharkey asked whether he was dead, fearing the answer and momentarily forgetting the more expedient issue of the runaway Reactor.

 

Land nodded in the negative.  “I gave him a low voltage shock treatment, it could cure him,” he postulated just as a control panel shorted out in the Reactor Room, reminding them of their imminent destruction. 

 

Fortunately, Lee was coming around, the grenade explosion not as devastating since Harry’s booby trap was configured tight and had exploded with the hatch between him and the blast; unlike when Chandler rigged it to explode once he stepped over the hatch.    A panel exploding in the Reactor Room brought Lee to his senses, quickly sizing up the danger and calling for Patterson to give him a hand.  He took shaky, but hasty steps forward when another explosion hit, this time in the Reactor itself, rendering everyone but Lee unconscious in the subsequent rock and rolls.

 

Lee made his way into the Reactor Room, not even sure if critical mass could be averted at this point.  They had full power and the coolant system was fully operational; there was still a chance as he hoped that dampening the rods would do the trick.  He was just about ready to push the rods in with both hands when he heard Harry behind him.

 

“Lee!  Lee, you can’t!”

 

He ignored Harry’s pleas to allow Seaview’s Reactor to blow and proceeded to push the rods in when he was suddenly pushed away with Harry’s full force.  Lee was still shaken from the blasts, but watched as Harry began to dampen certain rods first.  Even from his place across the deck as he shakily moved forward, he could see Harry making complicated calculations in his head and dampening more rods.  He drew a deep breath, watching the Reactor respond to Harry’s expert hands, realizing that the Admiral had somehow broken through the brainwashing.  It was the determination in his eyes while he dampened rods as much as the Reactor’s favorable response that convinced him as Lee closed the distance, but the final determination was found in Harry’s next words.

 

“How did all this happen?  Now, who’s responsible for this?” Harry demanded completely unaware of his hand in their near disaster.

 

“How did all this happen?!” a shocked Lee Crane replied, recognizing the Harriman Nelson he knew so well was back and that he apparently had no memory of his actions. 

 

Harry waved him off, quickly assessing the fact that there were unconscious crewmen sprawled about the deck and determining just as quickly that he needed to be in the Control Room to see what else had gone wrong.

 

“All right, you can tell me about it later.  It’s all right now.  The reaction has been averted and Seaview is herself again,” he stated, walking out of the Reactor Room with a bewildered Captain Crane following behind.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry stepped over the damaged hatch and spotted Dr. Land and Patterson making their way to their feet, as Sharkey leaned heavily against the bulkhead with a bloody hand to his shoulder. 

 

“Chief!” he called with all the concern his friends would have expected.  “What happened?  Who did this to you?” he asked, reaching to steady his friend and wondering if Seaview had been invaded by aliens, sea creatures, or enemy agents.

 

“Uh…” Sharkey faltered, looking past the Admiral to Captain Crane who shrugged his shoulders.

 

“The Admiral’s back, but he doesn’t remember what happened,” Lee explained, recalling how he had to coax his own memories back after his brainwashing over two years ago.

 

“Uh, it’s going to be fine, Sir,” Sharkey assured.  “I sure am glad to see you back, Sir,” he added, beaming from ear to ear, having already unconditionally forgiven the Admiral.

 

“What’s the condition of the Boat?” Harry asked, turning toward Lee and realizing that he had somehow missed a significant part of the recent goings on.  He vaguely remembered meeting with Land and coming aboard Seaview, but everything got extremely fuzzy once they got to the cave.

 

“We’re on the bottom, Admiral, and there’s an unfriendly sub lurking about out there somewhere,” Lee reported.  “As far as I know, the entire crew has been immobilized by some sort of nerve gas.  I don’t know how long they’ll be out.”

 

Harry’s cheek twitched, a small memory returning, though nothing was making sense.  “It’s effective for up to six hours,” he recited uneasily.

 

Lee nodded, recognizing the bits and pieces of memories that would return slowly at first, and then flood in with unwanted accusations against the brainwashed victim, but as much as he wanted to help his friend, right now he needed every one of them working a station.

 

“Patterson,” Lee said, going into action.  “Get to the Control Room and man Sonar.  I need to know if that submarine is still out there.”  Patterson acknowledged and turned to head topside.  “Sharkey, I’m sorry Chief, but I need you in the Missile Room to man Torpedoes.  Dr. Land go with him, you can treat his shoulder with the medical kit there, then do whatever the Chief tells you.”

 

“Right Skipper!” Sharkey acknowledged, holding his shoulder, but eager to do his part, shoving off the wall and finding a burst of energy as he led Land to the Missile Room.

 

Lee took a moment to size Harry up, he was distant at present and he figured the genius admiral was putting two and two together as his memories returned.

 

“Admiral?”

 

Harry responded right away, making strong eye contact with Lee and offering confidence in his next words.

 

“I’m all right, Lee.  We can talk about this later, let’s get to the Control Room; the enemy sub suffered rudder damage, but there’s a good chance they were ordered to stay and monitor Seaview’s destruction.  She may have moved off to a safe distance, but she’s out there somewhere,” he finished.

 

Lee nodded resolutely, he didn’t know how much Harry remembered, but it was obvious the Admiral was focusing on protecting Seaview right now.

 

“Let’s go,” Lee urged as the two trotted towards the Control Room, passing unconscious crewmen along the way, unable to lend a hand and unaware of the fact that they may be going into battle with a skeleton crew of five.

 

Chapter Thirteen

 

As soon as they reached the Control Room, Lee reassigned Patterson to Hydrophones and Harry took up Sonar, gently moving aside their fellow unresponsive shipmates.

 

Harry studied the sonar panel before shaking his head.  “She’s holed up somewhere behind a sea mount or something,” he postulated, unable to find the sub on the scope.

 

“Do you think she’s still there?” Lee asked, while simultaneously glancing at situation lights to ascertain Seaview’s seaworthiness, to determine whether he could raise her from the bottom.

 

“She would stay to monitor Seaview’s destruction, even if the rest of her mission failed,” Harry noted, silently noting that Gamma hadn’t succeeded in obtaining his sample.

 

Lee pursed his bottom lip, taking a seat at Helm and responding with purpose.

 

“Well then, let’s give them something to monitor,” he replied cryptically.  “Blowing ballast,” he announced, issuing and obeying his own order at the same time as Seaview rose from the bottom, leaving behind a cloud of silty sand in the process.

 

“Depth keel to bottom 300 feet… trim satisfactory,” he reported out loud then headed into the nose, pulling down the laser sights.

 

“What do you have in mind, Lee?” Harry asked curiously.

 

“I need a heat source, Admiral,” Lee said, surveying a dimly lit ocean out Seaview’s windows.

 

Harry nodded, issuing a small chuckle as he realized what Lee was after.  “There, twenty degrees off starboard,” he noted, using Sonar to help the selection process.

 

“Got it,” Lee replied, finding his target in the sights before momentarily leaving the laser to grab a nearby mic.

 

“Chief, load torpedo in Bay One, and load Four with Counter Measures just in case.”

 

“Aye Sir, loading Bay One with torpedo; Bay Four with Counter Measures,” Sharkey replied, not a hint of distress in his voice as he performed his duty without complaint, even with a fresh bullet wound still throbbing in his shoulder.

 

“I think I know what you’re going for, Lee,” Harry interjected, “but I’ll need to readjust the intensity of the laser.”

 

“Aye,” Lee replied, turning the laser over to Harry, while Patterson pulled double duty covering Sonar.

 

“Torpedo One locked and loaded, Counter Measures standing by in Four, Sir,” Sharkey’s voice reported from the Missile Room.

 

“Standby, Chief,” Lee replied, returning to Helm as Harry finished his adjustments and nodded his readiness.

 

“Fire lasers,” Lee ordered as Harry aimed and issued a long blast at the adjusted lower intensity.  Even from the distance they could see the small sea mount start to glow; its red hue signaling it was absorbing the heat.

 

“She’s ready, Lee,” Harry called over his shoulder, “It’s now or never.”

 

“Fire One,” Lee ordered into the mic stretched to reach his position at Helm.

 

Sharkey’s acknowledgement was followed immediately by the jolt of a live torpedo dispatching from the forward tube.

 

“200 yards,” Patterson called out from Hydrophones.  “100 yards,” he reported as Harry settled back in at Sonar, “50 yards.”

 

“Brace for shockwaves,” Lee ordered into the mic.

 

“Impact in 5… 4… 3… 2…1.”

 

“Flooding ballast tanks,” Lee called out as he returned Seaview to the ocean floor, even as the first of the shockwaves started battering the sub.

 

It was a controlled maneuver, producing only a slight thud despite the rock and rolls, as Lee raised the mic once again.

 

“Silent running,” he ordered, then headed to Sonar to watch the enemy sub’s reaction.

 

“What do you think, Admiral?” Lee whispered.

 

“It was a good ruse, Lee.  The blast was significant enough to rattle her chains.  I’d say she’s reporting that Seaview has been destroyed,” a victim of a runaway reactor he finished silently.

 

“What now, Skipper?” Patterson whispered.

 

“We lay low and monitor the sub’s intentions.  We’re not in a position to go into battle with a fully manned and armed enemy sub, so let’s just let them believe we’re no longer a threat.”

 

“She may send more divers for a sample,” Harry cautioned, knowing that was something they couldn’t allow.

 

Lee nodded.  “For now, let’s keep an eye on the cave entrance,” he replied from over Harry’s shoulder.  “I’m sorry, Admiral, but if she attempts to obtain a sample, then we’re going to have to blow the entrance.”

 

“I agree,” Harry concurred as Lee reached for his mid-section again. 

 

He steadied himself on Harry’s chair and closed his eyes, willing the illness back into submission.  The nausea eased off, but his strength was waning and his head hurt.  He opened his eyes, pleased that both Patterson and Harry were intensely monitoring their stations and hadn’t noted his distress.  In a few more hours his crew would waken, he’d have to hold out until then… the Decontamination Chamber could wait.

 

* * * * *

 

It was a long two hours later, but Patterson was the first to report activity.

 

“She’s on the move, Skipper,” he whispered.

 

“Admiral?” Lee asked, trying to ascertain the sub’s intention.

 

“She’s headed for the cave,” Harry informed. 

 

Lee nodded, and headed to the Radio Shack where he had Sharkey stationed.

 

“I need you and Dr. Land back in the Missile Room, Chief,” he ordered, regretting having to utilize the injured man once again, but having no other choice.  “Load tubes one and two, and standby.”

 

“Aye Sir, we’re on it,” Sharkey replied as they stepped over unconscious crewmen, making their way through to the hatch.

 

“Okay gentlemen, we’re going to blow the entrance with a laser blast, and then run for cover,” Lee informed his “crew” as Dr. Land nodded his understanding regretfully, before following Sharkey out the aft hatch.

 

Lee returned to Helm, blowing ballast and executing a turn at dead slow to line up with the cave entrance.  The laser had already been adjusted back to full strength as Lee headed to the nose, adjusting the laser sights and honing in on his target.

 

“She knows we’re here, Lee,” Harry warned, noting the enemy sub turning to intercept.

 

“I’ve got it,” Lee replied, the cave entrance right in his crosshairs and fired, pulling the trigger as the blue beam from Seaview’s bow lit up the dark sea in front of them, issuing a long blast above the entrance until the mountain responded, burying the entrance under tons of rocks and boulders.

 

Quickly he stowed the sights and returned to Helm.

 

“Torpedo 2000 yards out,” Patterson reported, keeping track of the “fish” on their tails as Lee blew ballast to give himself maneuvering room before applying full right rudder.

 

“Fish still on target; 1000 yards and closing.”

 

“Standby Chief,” Lee ordered in the mic.

 

“500 yards,” Patterson said, ticking off the distance of the closing torpedo.

 

“Hang on, this is going to be close,” Lee warned, executing a full left rudder while issuing his next order simultaneously.

 

“Countermeasures away!”

 

“Countermeasures away, Aye Sir,” Sharkey’s voice was heard as Lee applied engines at full.

 

There were a few seconds of silence before Patterson reported.  “She’s going for the countermeasures.”

 

“Brace for shockwaves,” Lee ordered, as the boat rocked with the concussion of the blast behind them sending unconscious crewman rolling across the deck, unable to brace themselves.

 

“Where’s the bogey, Admiral?”

 

“Executing large turns, but heading our way.  Her rudders must not be fully functional,” he surmised, accounting for her current maneuverability and the fact that she had waited so long to approach the cave.

 

“Bogey’s loading another fish, Sir,” Patterson reported, hearing the mechanical noises torpedoes make when being hastily loaded.  “She’s flooding tubes,” he added a few seconds later as the intensity in Seaview’s Control Room grew.

 

“Chief, fire one; fire two,” Lee ordered maneuvering Seaview and positioning the boat for evasive maneuvers should they find themselves on the run again as the feel of torpedoes deploying shuddered the deck under their feet.

 

“Torpedoes away,” Patterson reported.  “1,000 yards; fish have acquired their target.  500 yards… 200 yards… bogey’s bay doors are opening.”

 

“Brace for shockwaves,” Lee ordered.

 

“100 yards… 50 yards…”

 

“This is going to be close,” Lee noted as Patterson counted off the final seconds.

 

“Impact!” Pat announced, pulling off his Hydrophones as everyone held tight for the inevitable rock and rolls.

 

Seaview found her trim again as Lee straightened, having held on tight and avoiding a back and forth dance across the deck.

 

“Did she get her fish in the water?” Lee asked, turning toward Pat who already had his headsets back on, monitoring the ocean for the fast propellers of torpedoes headed their way.

 

“Negative Sir,” a relieved Patterson replied.  “The blast was excessive,” he noted from years of experience.

 

“She very well could have armed her torpedoes in the tubes,” Harry postulated as Lee pulled power back to All Stop.

 

“Are the scopes clear?” Lee asked, feeling slightly light headed and fighting his body’s need for treatment beyond the anti-radiation shot he had received hours earlier.

 

“All clear,” Harry replied.  “That was some fancy maneuvering, Lee,” he complimented with a smile.

 

Lee returned the smile, his relief evident now that the danger was over, before clicking the mic.  “Good work, Chief; you and Dr. Land report to the Control Room on the double.”

 

“Aye Sir.”

 

* * * * *

 

Seaview was stationed 300 yards off the cave’s entrance as Harry, Lee and Dr. Land surveyed the tons of rocks and boulders, completely blocking what was left of the cave’s entrance from Seaview’s windows.  Sharkey had taken up Sonar, but so far everything was quiet.

 

“I’m sorry we had to seal the cave, Dr. Land,” Lee offered, knowing the scientist had put his reputation on the line for the discovery.

 

“I’m a realist, Captain Crane.  I understand what’s at stake.  Besides, with the sample the Admiral obtained, we can proceed with the research.  We can always mine for the ore later, or perhaps locate another deposit,” he replied.

 

Lee nodded, reaching up to rub his temple as he spoke.

 

“How much do you remember, Admiral?”

 

“Not much… bits and pieces.  I was angry with you a lot, wasn’t I?” Harry asked a bit perplexed, but before Lee could answer, several moans were heard from their crew as the nerve gas released them back to consciousness.  Lee recognized Chip’s voice and moved to his side first. 

 

“Chip?  Easy there,” he cautioned, when the blond tried to rise too fast.

 

Lee and Harry helped him from the deck, leaning him against the periscope island as Chip’s eyes fluttered open.  He reached for his head, groaning with the headache he sported, before finally focusing and finding Lee at his side.  He smiled at seeing his friend alive and well, before spotting Harry and flinching slightly.

 

“It’s all right, Chip; the Admiral’s back,” Lee advised, helping Morton to his feet as he spoke.

 

“It’s good to see you both,” he replied, taking in the Control Room filled with crewmen in varying stages of consciousness.  “I think I missed quite a bit.  The last thing I remember was searching for the Admiral and then crewmen falling from their stations.”

 

“We’ll fill you in…” Lee started before stopping mid-sentence to reach for his head.

 

“Lee, what’s wrong?” Harry questioned, his brow furling in concern.

 

“I don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner,” Land interjected, chastising himself for missing the signs earlier.  “He didn’t have time for decontamination.”

 

“Decontamination?” Harry asked; his facial lines tightening as Lee held his nauseous stomach.  “Never mind,” Harry replied, waving off further explanation for a later time.  “I’ll get you to Decontamination, Lee.  You have the Con, Mr. Morton.”

 

Chip nodded, as much in the dark as Harry at this point, whose subconscious mind had blocked some of the more painful memories regarding his ordeal.  At present, he didn’t recall his brainwashing at all, or that it was he who put the bullet in Sharkey’s shoulder.  Furthermore, while he remembered taking the Zycron sample from the cave, he didn’t remember tossing the explosive or sealing Lee and Land inside a cave registering peak radiation levels.

 

Harry guided Lee out the aft hatch with a hand on his elbow.  He was walking on his own steam until he faltered, leaning heavily against the bulkhead.  As Lee faltered, memories flashed before Harry, his subconscious suddenly releasing a flood of uncomfortable remembrances complete with all the emotions he had harbored and forced to take as his own.

 

“Blast it!  I did this to you!” Harry blurted out, now remembering fully how he nearly killed them with the first grenade, then sought to seal their doom with a second explosive lodged in the cave wall.

 

“It’s not your fault, Admiral.  Don’t worry, it’s just a headache,” Lee assured, pushing off the wall and walking the rest of the way, though a bit unsteady.

 

Harry put his emotions aside recognizing that his first priority was Lee’s health as he guided his ill friend inside and closed the chamber door, then adjusted the controls to start the decontamination process. 

 

That was the last thing Lee remembered before waking up in Sickbay.

 

* * * * *

 

“How are you feeling, Skipper?”

 

“Jamie?” Lee called, reaching for his temple and rubbing.  “How long have I been out?”

 

“First things first; your name and rank.”

 

“Lee Crane, Commander,” he answered somewhat perplexed at the neuro check he was getting, but completely lucid.

 

“Good,” Jamie replied, content with Lee’s quick answer before addressing his question.  “You’ve been out for about five hours off and on.  And to answer your next question, you have a mild concussion.”

 

Lee’s brow furled, somewhat confused.  “What about the radiation?”

 

“Both you and Dr. Land had elevated evidence of radiation exposure, but you’re both within safety standards; you can thank Chief Sharkey for that, he treated you both with Anti-Radiation shots in the cave.  No doubt you would have felt better having completed your Decontamination earlier, but I would venture to guess that your symptoms were mostly related to the concussion.  I understand you were in close proximity to two explosions?”

 

“Yeah,” Lee replied at the unhappy memory, before chuckling lightly.  “Well, that’s good to hear,” he continued; as uncomfortable as the concussion was, it was still better than radiation sickness in his book.  “What about the crew?”

 

Jamie smiled, encouraged by Lee’s clear-headedness and ability to articulate.  “There were no ill effects beyond the head and muscle aches we woke with; but other than that, minor injuries; scratches, bruises, and one broken arm.  And I’ve treated and released Chief Sharkey; he’ll be cleared for light duty tomorrow.”

 

“That’s good,” Lee replied distantly in obvious thought.  “You… know what happened to the Admiral?”

 

“Yes, and I’ve checked him over.  Other than memory loss, which may or may not be temporary, he appears fit.”

 

Lee blew a breath out.  “That’s good to hear,” he replied, before returning to the burning question he had avoided asking until now.  “So, when do I get out of here?”

 

Jamie smiled and chuckled.  “I was wondering when you’d get around to that.”

 

Lee just raised an eyebrow, waiting for his answer.

 

“Bedrest in your cabin for the remainder of the day,” Jamie continued.  “Light duty tomorrow, and you report here if your headache worsens or your symptoms change.”

 

“Deal,” Lee agreed readily, making sure to rise slowly to avoid a bout with dizziness.  He was successful and took a deep breath.  His head ached, however, at the sudden movement as he squeezed his eyes shut to deal with it, when he opened them Jamie was waiting with a dose of aspirin.

 

“Here you go, Skipper,” he said with concern as Lee reached for the small dose cup happily.

 

“Thanks Jamie.”

 

“You’re welcome, Lee,” the doctor replied as he helped his patient to his feet, making sure his feet were steady before letting go as Lee made his way to the head.

 

He changed, careful not to move too fast, but realizing that the diagnosis of a “mild” concussion was spot on, as he wasn’t in as dire straits as other times when he had suffered more serious head injuries.  By the time he exited the head, his “escort” was waiting for him in the form of Chip Morton.  It wasn’t unexpected, it was the equivalent of the required wheelchair ride when being discharged from a hospital, and accepted his babysitter without fuss; besides, it would give him a chance to receive a Boat Status Report.

 

“I’ve ordered a meal for you, Skipper, and expect me to drop by several times tonight for a check.”

 

“Fine, Jamie,” he said before turning toward Chip and tilting his head toward the door.  “Lead the way, Mr. Morton.”

 

“After you, Skipper,” he countered with a swing of his arm, deferring to his captain. 

 

They had just barely cleared the door when they heard Jamie’s final instructions shouted from behind, “And no detours to the Control Room…”

 

The admonishment produced a small smile from both men as Lee walked cautiously.

 

“So how are things up there?”

 

“We’re squared away; the crew is back and functioning at 100%.  DC reports the Boat is sound and we’re underway to Pearl.  We’re still under our original orders for radio blackout, so no one knows what happened yet,” Chip answered.

 

“I’ll take care of that.  The priority is getting Dr. Land and his sample to the protection of Pearl, but I don’t want to lose the trail either.”

 

Chip nodded, knowing exactly which trail Lee was referring to.  He waited for Lee to continue, sensing he was working through something.

 

“Chip, I need you to do something for me, and I need it done quietly.”

 

“Go on.”

 

“I want a printout from the NAV computer in the flying sub.   I want to know where the Admiral went before picking up Dr. Land.”

 

“I’ll take care it, Lee,” Chip replied, followed by a brief silence.  “So, you’re thinking that Weber was a victim of the same brainwashing technique?”

 

“I’m sure of it.”  Lee sighed.  “There are a lot of loose ends to tie up, Chip.  The Admiral had security with him; I’d like to know how he fits into this as well.  What’s our ETA to Pearl?”

 

“Two days, I couldn’t get underway until Jamie deemed the crew fit.”

 

“I understand.  What about the Admiral?”

 

Chip shook his head and shrugged lightly.  “Back to his old self again, but…”

 

Lee turned his head for the rest of Chip’s sentence, urging him to continue, “But what?”

 

“I can’t put my finger on it, Lee.  I don’t think he’s under their influence anymore, but he’s not quite right.”

 

Lee nodded and blew a small breath.

 

“I think I know what’s wrong, Chip.  Just keep an eye on him and give him some space; it’s not easy coming to terms with the fact that everything you believe in can be cancelled out by someone else’s will, and I don’t know what techniques they employed on him, so it may take some time.”

 

“Aye,” Chip agreed, knowing that Lee knew exactly what he was talking about, and remembering well his friend’s struggle after his own brainwashing.  But where Lee had been withdrawn and moody, the Admiral seemed overly free, as if he carried no scars from the event at all; if Chip were pressed, this is what he was gauging his opinion on.

 

They reached Lee’s cabin, the walk admittedly taking longer as Seaview’s captain took careful steps to avoid a tumble.

 

“I’ll check with Cookie about your dinner,” Chip added as Lee nodded his thanks, grateful that his best friend was going to play steward.  He was tired and didn’t want a lot of questions from a concerned crewman over his well-being at present. 

 

“Thanks Chip,” he replied, offering sincerity in his eyes and grateful that the aspirin was starting to kick in.

 

Lee closed the door behind him and leaned back, replaying Chip’s words over in his mind concerning the Admiral being a little “off”.  He thought about it a moment before taking a deep breath and pushing off the door, deciding to take his own advice and give Harry the room he needed to deal with what happened.

 

Chapter Fourteen

 

Lee woke the next morning to a headache, but overall feeling much better, especially after the aspirin kicked in.  True to his word, Jamie had made several house calls the night before, and had deemed him on the healing side of his injury.

 

He was free to work light-duty today, but before he dove in, he needed to talk to Harry.  He had decided to break radio silence in favor of reporting, in the hopes that Mateo’s team could start investigations into Harry’s brainwashing.  He knew the trail would be cold, even in two days, and that shutting down such an operation was vital to national security.

 

Lee stood on the other side of Harry’s door and knocked; he hadn’t seen the Admiral since his collapse in the Decontamination Chamber, though he was told he had visited Sickbay before he woke.

 

“Come in.”

 

Lee entered, smiling at the sight of Harry at his desk and already plunging into notes, despite the early hour of the morning; no doubt regarding the new ore they had just obtained.

 

“Lee!  Come in, come in,” he called, clearly happy to see Seaview’s captain as Lee rounded the partially open door.

 

“Good morning, Admiral,” Lee greeted, taking the guest chair and smiling with the ease their friendship afforded.

 

“How are you feeling?” Harry asked, leaning over his desk and folding his hands before him.

 

“Moving a little slow, but I feel pretty good and Jamie cleared me for light-duty,” he responded to Harry’s obvious relief.  “And what about you, Admiral?”

 

“I’m fine, Lee.  I remember most of the events since boarding Seaview with Dr. Land,” he admitted with a noticeable heavy swallow.

 

“I’m sorry, Admiral, I know it’s not easy,” Lee replied empathetically.

 

“It’s unbelievable is what it is,” Harry countered, sitting back and chuckling lightly, a reaction Lee wasn’t expecting.  While he expected the Admiral to be embarrassed and self-conscious, he had rather expected to see a fiery, fighting, Harriman Nelson.

 

Lee nodded before continuing.  “Admiral, I’m going to break radio silence and report.”

 

Harry blew a noticeable airy breath out, but other than that, his demeanor didn’t change.

 

“We need to get Captain Ramirez working on your abduction and subsequent brainwashing.”

 

Harry was apparently not surprised by Lee’s decision as he resumed his position of folding his hands and leaning over his desk.

 

“I’m afraid I still don’t remember anything about either the abduction or the techniques used against me,” he cautioned Lee.  “All I know, is I woke with an overwhelming need to obey my superior.”

 

“Do you remember who you were working for?” Lee probed, knowing these questions were difficult, but necessary.

 

“No,” Harry replied quickly, “but it’s obvious it was the People’s Republic,” he deduced flatly, unable to make any connection to Gamma or the Vision that had driven his feelings of hatred for Lee, as well as his need to obey the orders to destroy Seaview.

 

Lee studied Harry’s eyes, gauging his wellness by the sincerity of the eyes he knew so well.

 

“What is it, Lee?” Harry asked, realizing he was being scrutinized.

 

“You were… pretty irritated with me for most of the voyage, Admiral.  You don’t remember why?” he probed, hoping that stirring that particular emotion would shake the rest free to help with the investigation.

 

“No,” Harry replied with little expression, not even frustration, Lee noted.  “All I remember is being antagonistic toward you, but I don’t remember why, beyond the fact that you and I disagreed over harvesting the Zycron.”

 

Lee nodded, accepting his answer.  “Perhaps your abductors used that against us,” he surmised.

 

“It’s possible, I… I just don’t remember, Lee.”

 

Lee smiled offering reassurance for the process. “That’s all right, Admiral.  It will all work out in time,” he encouraged as he rose.  “I’m going to hit the Wardroom, are you coming?”

 

Harry waved him on.  “Maybe later, Lee.  I’d like to dive into these notes,” he explained with his familiar closed mouth grin.

 

“Aye Sir,” he answered before exiting the Admiral’s cabin.  He paused on the other side of the door, considering their conversation before heading back to his own cabin to make a private radio call.

 

* * * * *

 

“Very well, Commander, I agree with your decision to report,” General Price acknowledged.  “I’ll await your official report.  What’s your ETA?”

 

“About thirty hours to Pearl, Sir.”

 

“Good, I’m rescinding your orders for Radio Blackout.  Keep us informed of any relevant changes or new information relevant to the investigation.”

 

“Aye Sir,” Lee replied as Price signed off.  It had been a difficult, but necessary debriefing.  He blew a cleansing breath and reached for his intercom.

 

“Sparks, this is Crane.”

 

“Aye Sir.”

 

“Radio silence has been lifted; however, I’m restricting transmissions to official boat business.”

 

“Aye Sir.”

 

Lee signed off and sat back, processing everything before deciding that he better hit the Wardroom before he had both Jamie and Chip knocking on his door with a tray in hand.

 

* * * * *  

 

Lee sat between Harry and Dr. Land, almost a bystander in their conversation.  He was relieved that Harry had returned to the Nose, it was good for the crew to see him interacting with his shipmates once again.  He had spent most of his time in the lab with Dr. Land yesterday picking each other’s brains, and Lee had to admit, it was nice seeing Harry so excited about the scientific discovery.  Even so, he had avoided the Control Room until now, when they were only hours from Pearl.

 

Even now, the conversation at the conference table was strange… almost scripted.

 

“A little piece of rock, a bit of mineral… you know with something like this men could devastate the earth, or perhaps one day find the limits of outer space?” Harry postulated, smiling at his last observation.

 

“Well, let’s hope it’s not oblivion we find with it,” Lee added with a small chuckle, still harboring concerns that were neither here nor there… the research would continue, not requiring his approval he knew.

 

“Amen,” Harry agreed adding his own chuckle.  “I had my own little taste of personal oblivion because of this,” he said, shaking his head and tapping the ore with the point end of his pencil.  “Destroy Seaview,” he repeated incredulously, “that’s unbelievable,” he continued, hardly believing that it was possible to behave the way he had, yet seemingly taking the whole affair in stride, having bounced back noticeably well.

 

“You were a fortunate man, Admiral.  They didn’t have you long enough to allow the brainwash to be anything more but temporary.  That’s why the shock from the laser could reverse it,” Dr. Land postulated, his own genius allowing for the observation, which is why he requested the laser gun after his Decontamination, with the calculated hope of curing the Admiral with the low level shock treatment.

 

“Well, it came close enough to be permanent for all of us, believe me,” Harry replied, laughing off the incident.

 

“Sir, this just came from Washington,” Sharkey interrupted, arriving with a communique from the Radio Shack, his left arm tucked neatly into a sling.

 

“Oh, thanks Chief,” Harry said, reading the note privately as Sharkey started to step away.  “Oh, how’s the…” he started, referring to Sharkey’s arm, his voice trailing off as Sharkey interrupted him.

 

“Fine, just fine, Sir.  I’ll be back on full duty in just a couple of days,” he replied graciously.  “Don’t give it another thought,” he offered sincerely to which Harry offered a smile, that didn’t quite disguise the hurt in his eyes.

 

“I’ll give it many thoughts, Chief,” Harry replied assuredly as Sharkey stepped away and he shared the contents of the note.  “Well, they know the nation responsible, there’ll be some diplomatic discussions and verbal wrist slapping at the executive level, and the world and Seaview will sail into the future as if nothing ever happened,” Harry noted as Dr. Land nodded in agreement while Lee watched the entire exchange with an analyzing eye. 

 

Harry was struggling, he was sure of it, what concerned Lee the most was the lack of fire in his responses.  He was obviously taking responsibility for his actions, but he lacked frustration and even anger over the events. 

 

Furthermore, Harry’s memory had returned regarding every action he took to destroy Seaview, but the motivations behind those actions were still elusive, and he had failed to remember even the slightest detail of his brainwashing. 

 

Lee had reported the coordinates that Harry had flown to prior to reaching Dr. Land’s secret laboratory, and Mateo had already dispatched a security team.  By the time they arrived, the old fortress had been abandoned, leaving little evidence other than the ominous looking chair with restraining belts in the middle of the laboratory and a convenient stack of papers sufficiently implicating the People’s Republic.

They were no closer to finding those responsible, and even though the official version named the PR as the culprit, those closest to the investigation suspected there was more to the story.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t something that could be verified without help from the brainwash victims.

 

Harry’s bodyguard, Davis, had been apprehended and was currently in custody, but hadn’t shown the remorse Harry had, and was obviously still under the control of the conditioning.  He had stonewalled the investigation; so, until the Admiral remembered, they had too little to go on to further the investigation, but this wasn’t Lee’s only concern.   

 

As he watched Harry interact in the Nose, he was convinced that Harry’s recovery would be impeded until he faced what happened to him.  It was a process Lee knew all too well.

 

* * * * *

 

Harry woke from his sleep drenched in sweat yet again.  Images flooded his dreams, but they were elusive, dangling just within reach before disappearing back into the recesses of his mind.  He wasn’t sure he wanted to remember, for even though the images faded before waking, the terror of losing control wasn’t so easily dismissed.

 

He’d been home for two days now, after a harrowing four days in Pearl, giving endless debriefings and proving to the medical staff that he was indeed cured.  Everyone had marveled at Harriman Nelson’s resilience, and his ability to bounce back.  Even Jiggs Starke had bragged about his old friend’s ability to break through the programming in time to save the Reactor in a way only Harriman Nelson knew to do.  But Harry’s seemingly good mood was only skin deep, on the inside he was a volcano about to erupt, harboring something inside him he didn’t want hidden, and yet completely unaware of the inner struggle battling within him.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee stood on Harry’s porch, waiting for the Admiral to answer the door.  They’d been home for three days now and he’d waited long enough; the longer the Admiral went on with this ruse of complete wellness, the worse it would get.  He wasn’t fooled by Harry’s over-the-top good moods of late; no one gets over trying to kill their best friends and attempts to blow up a boat with 125 men aboard like this.  There would be regrets, pain, sadness, feelings of helplessness, and above all, disappointment in one’s self to have succumbed to someone else’s evil will.  He knew, because… he had been there.

 

“Lee, it’s nice to see you.  Come in,” Harry greeted, opening the door and inviting him in, while plastering on the same over-gratuitous smile Lee had noted for the last week.  “Did you have some boat business to discuss?” Harry asked, noting the folder in his captain’s hand.

 

“In a way, mostly I’m here to check on you,” he replied sincerely, offering a small smile and waiting for Harry to explode.

 

“Well Lee,” Harry started, chuckling as he shook his head, “I’ve already had a complete set of doctors from the Base at Pearl, not to mention a full clearance from Seaview’s CMO,” he stated, smiling as if he hadn’t a care in the world, while making a case that he didn’t need to be checked on.

 

“That’s great, Admiral.  Then would you mind going over a few things with me?”

 

“Of course, Lee, let’s get to work,” Harry replied, curious what boat business couldn’t wait until morning.

 

They both sat down in the living room, with Harry at his favorite chair adjacent to the sofa, where Lee sat pulling photographs from a manila folder.  He placed the first photo on the coffee table between them and looked at Harry. 

 

“Is this place familiar, Admiral?”

 

Harry’s cheek twitched as he shook his head.  “I recognize the architecture as 16th to 17th century… is that a Round Church?” he questioned.

 

“I’m not sure, Sir.”

 

“It must be… what?  Nordic?” the Admiral asked analyzing the architecture while demonstrating his fantastic memory and wide interests.

 

“Yes Sir, Norway to be exact.”

 

Harry’s cheek twitched again as Lee pulled another photo, this one showing a dock.

 

“We backtracked through FS1’s NAV Computer to obtain the exact coordinates that the flying sub visited before arriving at Dr. Land’s secret laboratory.”

 

Harry rubbed his neck in a nervous tick.  “Yes… I seem to remember that from the debriefs in Pearl.”

 

“This is where they took you, Admiral.”

 

“I… I just don’t remember, Lee.  Now the base doctors gave me a complete clean bill of health…”

 

“Do you remember this?” Lee interrupted, placing down a photo of an ominous looking chair; the very one Harry had been strapped in during the conditioning.

 

Harry picked up the photo, attempting to look at the whole thing scientifically, but then threw it down on the coffee table and stood abruptly. 

 

“No, I don’t remember,” he insisted pacing a few feet from the coffee table, before turning sharply and losing the plastered smile he had fooled everyone with all week.  “What are you trying to do Lee, play shrink?”

 

Lee was pleased with the reaction, but didn’t let it show.  “It looks like the chair reclined backwards,” he continued, trying to force Harry into confronting the unpleasant memories.

 

Visions of his nightmares flashed before his eyes as Harry grew angry at the unwanted barrage.

 

“What are you doing, Lee?  I told you I don’t remember!”

 

“The equipment was already removed by the time Ramirez got there, but I imagine they used shock therapy,” Lee bluffed as Harry’s pacing increased.

 

“Stop it, Lee,” he demanded as Harry reached for his head, screaming as he attempted to drown out Lee’s next words.  “No! No! NO!”

 

“Drugs… sleep deprivation?” Lee continued, waiting for Harry to reach the tipping point that would push him over the edge.

 

“Blast it, Lee!  Do you want me to remember?  Is that it?  You want me to relive it?!”

 

“I want you to be honest with yourself, Admiral!” Lee countered, standing to confront his friend.  “Did they use shock therapy?” he yelled unrelenting as he pushed the point.

 

“Stop it, Lee! Just stop it!” Harry demanded, his voice escalating into an all-consuming crescendo that effectively silenced Lee.  “Don’t you understand?” he questioned, choking on his own words.  “There was no pain,” he admitted as his memories burst through the wall that his self-conscious had built to protect himself.  “No shock treatment,” he continued, deflating into his chair.  “Not even sleep deprivation,” he said, burying his head into his hands, before finding his voice and continuing.  “All I did was lay there while she pumped drugs into me… and slept,” he said, putting disgusted emphasis on the last word.

 

Harry sobbed a moment, finally dealing with the memories he had unconsciously suppressed. 

 

His description of his tormentor being a “she” hadn’t gotten by Lee, but first he needed to help his friend through to the other side of the memories before addressing it.

 

“The drugs must have been powerful, Harry,” he said softly in a rare use of the Admiral’s first name.

 

Harry nodded, reigning in the strong emotions and wiping his eyes.  “They were… it really is still fuzzy, Lee, but I think the drugs utilized twilight sleep and I remember dreaming the things she told me about.”

 

“What kind of things?”

 

“She called it my ‘Portfolio’, it was… it was everything I despise, Lee; selfish, power hungry, ruthless, and full of contempt for everyone who stood in the way of the Vision.”

 

“Vision?”

 

Harry drew a deep breath in then raised his eyes to meet Lee’s.  “Dr. Gamma’s Vision,” he clarified.

 

Lee nodded and sighed loudly.  “That’s the piece of the puzzle we’ve been missing, Admiral.”

 

Harry nodded distantly, focusing on the far wall as Lee’s eyes narrowed.

 

“There’s more, isn’t there, Admiral?”

 

Harry swallowed.  “She was there, Lee.” 

 

Lee nodded; glad that Harry had gotten back to his tormentor and knowing he needed to face everything.  “Who Sir?”

 

“Karina.”

 

Lee felt as if he’d just been belted in the stomach, as his anger swelled up inside him.  “Karina?” he whispered incredulously.

 

“She told me that Gamma was her father,” he said, confirming what Lee surmised after Wallace and Larson’s experiment less than six months ago.  “And she explained how the drug worked; she wanted me to know how I’d been defeated.”

 

Harry sunk deeper in his chair as Lee tossed his head in disagreement.

 

“But she didn’t defeat you, Admiral,” he countered strongly.

 

“Yes she did!” Harry yelled, his anger swelling up once again.  “If Land hadn’t zapped me with the laser gun, I’d still be running around trying to destroy Seaview!” he yelled throwing his hands into the air and bolting from his seat.

 

“Admiral, listen to me!  Land’s blast from the laser didn’t cure you; it was only the catalyst that allowed your subconscious to break through.  I know, Admiral,” Lee continued.  “It didn’t cure you any more than that bullet Forrester put in my shoulder cured me,” he countered.  “It was your inner strength that beat the programming, Admiral,” Lee encouraged, moving face to face with him and willing for him to listen to the same words of wisdom that Harry had offered him after his own brainwashing.

 

Harry looked into Lee’s eyes, seeing only confidence there and responded, relenting to his friend’s reasoning as he nodded acceptance of his words, before finally blowing a breath in exhaustion.

 

“I don’t know about you, but I need a drink,” he said, releasing some pent up energy as the Admiral moved to the liquor cabinet to pour two glasses.

 

“I can’t believe Karina was involved,” Lee commented, returning to the bombshell he hadn’t been expecting as Harry handed him a shot of scotch before sinking into his chair.  “Can you describe her?” he asked, hoping to add to her criminal profile for the sake of the investigation.

 

“Yes… and I imagine you can as well.”

 

Lee’s brow furled, urging him to continue.

 

“The Blue Lagoon…” Harry started as Lee’s eyes widened.

 

Of course! he realized silently.  He couldn’t place her voice as she whispered, but as the whole thing replayed in his mind he could almost transpose those words he hated into that whisper, “Let’s begin again.”

 

Lee leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and sighed.  “So, she was playing with us that night.”

 

“Apparently so, I… I don’t know why my mind suppressed all of this, Lee,” Harry apologized, a strong man and not accustomed to not dealing with adversity head on.

 

“Admiral, this isn’t something that you just get over,” he replied, speaking from the place of having been there.  “But whatever feelings you’re having; whatever anger, rage, remorse… I’ll be here for all of it… just like you were for me,” he promised.

 

Harry nodded and threw back the contents of his glass, then took a deep breath. 

 

“Thank you, Lee.”

 

Chapter Fifteen

 

“I’m sorry father, I have failed you,” Karina apologized, bowing her head regretfully and careful to show the proper respect to Dr. Gamma, the underworld’s number one mobster and kingpin to a secret organization seeking worldwide domination and control.

 

Gamma’s bald head glistened under the lights as he stepped from the shadows to place a domineering hand on her lowered head.  Though it reeked of false regality, it was a sign to the others in his organization that she was still in his good graces, for Gamma offered no such physical contact to non-family members.

 

“The ore will be ours someday, we will strike again,” he assured his organization members, before turning to his daughter once again.  “You have served me well,” he conceded, while shooting a sharp glance to the scientist standing to the side in a white lab coat and wringing his hands nervously.  “The brainwashing technique obviously failed,” he finished with a scowl.

 

The scientist swallowed hard then bowed his head, accepting the failure with full responsibility, while hoping to continue his dastardly experiments under Gamma’s employ.

 

“What next, father?” Karina asked.  “Give me your leave and I will personally rid you of Crane and Nelson,” she offered enthusiastically.

 

“Patience, Karina,” he answered, drawing a long drag from his filtered cigarette and blowing the smoke into the air, as everyone in the room waited for his next words.  “There will be time for that later.  You will have your opportunity,” he promised as Karina bowed her head in acceptance of her father’s “wisdom”.

 

Gamma cracked a small smile, knowing full well that his daughter was as ruthless and power hungry as he, but she was wise enough to follow his lead.  Even so, he was careful to monitor her activities, and he had no misgivings concerning her ambitions; but as long as she served him loyally she would continue to be his protégé for the future.

 

He swung his arm toward the chair to his right, inviting her to take her place as he moved to his seat at the head of the table.  The rest of Gamma’s men followed suit, each standing behind their chairs and waiting until Gamma took his seat first before sitting.

 

Another puff of smoke rose in the air, Gamma’s cigarette the only one allowed at the table, as he leaned forward to get down to business.

 

“Gentlemen, I will hear your reports from your sectors now,” he announced.

 

* * * * *

 

Karina took the seat at her father’s right hand and eyed the sector leaders, looking for unchecked ambition, treachery, failure, or any other weakness that would impede the Vision.  Though it was her father’s Vision, she was smart enough to ride on his coattails until such a time as she would rise to take his place.  But she was also sizing up future supporters as well as adversaries; those who would rally to her side, and those who would seek to usurp her future power.  She had already suggested to her father, that the supervisor directly in charge of Nelson had botched the mission by insisting he stay on Seaview, rather than escaping with the ore sample.  Furthermore, she pointed out that Gamma could have had the flying sub and Nelson’s top secret information as consolation prizes had the supervisor had more foresight.  Her father had agreed, and the supervisor had subsequently been demoted and “punished”.  And though she was content to have survived Nelson’s failed brainwashing, she harbored a great need for vengeance against Seaview’s captain, knowing that his part in foiling her plans could have cost her everything.  One didn’t fail Gamma too many times before being deemed unnecessary, and she laid the blame for her failures squarely at the feet of Lee Crane. 

 

Still, she would be patient; her father had taught her to strike when her adversary least expected it.  And she settled into the meeting resting in the knowledge that one day she would have her revenge on Captain Crane.

 

* * * * *

 

Lee, Harry and Chip stood in their service dress at attention as the short memorial service came to a close.  They saluted sharply as their country’s flag was presented to the family; it had been a hard battle that Lee had personally fought arduously for.  NIS had determined that Seaman Weber had indeed been abducted and that his actions of malice were completely against his will and established behavior.  Lee had argued vehemently for his crewman’s status to be changed to “Killed in the Line of Duty”.  He hadn’t asked to be brainwashed and deserved to be remembered for his years of devoted service. 

 

Lee’s efforts had also opened the way for Weber’s family to receive the death benefits they deserved from NIMR.  They were family, and family didn’t abandon one another in times of need, he argued; the entire process supported wholeheartedly by Admiral Nelson.  The military had deemed the whole affair Top Secret, and even though Weber’s family had been denied details, they were relieved that their son and brother could be laid to rest with honor.

 

Today’s ceremony, held privately on NIMR grounds, had brought closure to not only Weber’s family, but to Harry as well.  The nightmares were fading and his fiery passion for research and exploration had returned in force.

 

Dr. Land’s secret laboratory had been relocated, with the staff vetted for security.  The research would continue, and Harry was sure that in time, the ore would make its way to the periodic table as a new element.  What course the discovery took was yet to be seen, but their eyes looked upward to the stars as the hopes of space travel urged them onward, this decision made possible by the President as he followed the lead of former President Harry Truman, moving the research out of the military’s control and into NASA’s hands.

 

Lee finished greeting Weber’s family, offering his condolences once again and then stepped away to allow Weber’s shipmates to do the same.  Riley, Patterson, Ski and more rallied around the family, offering their support and sharing happier memories of their friend.

 

Harry and Chip had withdrawn as well, and were currently having a private conversation among themselves, when Mateo approached Seaview’s captain.  Lee had thought it was a classy move for the security officer to participate here today.

 

“This is a great view,” Mateo offered quietly, admiring the cliff-side ocean view.

 

Lee nodded and smiled thinly, before turning quite serious.  “How is Davis?”

 

“He took the brainwashing hard after his breakthrough,” Mateo answered regretfully.  “He’s on leave, but I don’t think he’s coming back; he’s talking about retiring, the Navy will agree, I’m sure.”

 

“That’s too bad,” Lee commented regarding the fourth generation Navy man whose life had been turned upside down by Gamma’s evil ploy; before glancing toward Chip and Harry and considering how close he had come to losing both of his best friends.  His face hardened in determination as he asked his next question.  “Mateo, how close are you to this investigation?” he queried, realizing that if Ramirez chose to answer, it would be quite off the books.

 

“I receive regular briefings from the on-going investigations,” he answered directly, but a bit vaguely. 

 

Lee nodded knowingly, figuring as much since Mateo was still in charge of Security for the project.  His eyes diverted from Harry and Chip back to the ocean in front of him; behind him, the sounds of the Memorial dying out as their guests retreated inside to the reception.  He looked across the ocean, past the breaking waves and focused on the horizon as he spoke.

 

“If you close in on Karina… I’d like to be brought in,” he said with a hard swallow, asking as a favor and knowing that all it would take was Mateo’s suggestion to do so.

 

“ONI thinks you’re too close to the situation… too emotionally involved.”

 

“That’s never stopped ONI before when it suited them,” he countered evenly, still looking out at the horizon and still very much in control of his emotions.

 

Mateo blew a breath out, thinking hard about what he was about to say next, but proceeding nonetheless.  “There’s… talk among the Shrinks that Karina has an interest in you… they think that her showing up at the restaurant in Pearl was a calling card of sorts, designed to get under your skin.  The Profilers say that it’s highly likely that she blames you personally for her failures.”

 

“I figured that.”

 

Mateo paused, looking out at the same distance in the horizon and sighed.  “If Karina surfaces again, how willing would you be to participate in an operation?”

 

“Very willing,” Lee replied without hesitating, turning to make eye contact with Mateo, and knowing full well that what he was proposing entailed being used as bait to draw her out.

 

Mateo nodded slowly, their discussion never going beyond quiet whispers.  “I’ll pass it along,” he promised before stepping away, leaving Lee to quietly contemplate the conversation until he heard a familiar voice behind him.

 

“Well, that looked like a serious conversation,” Harry noted with a raised eyebrow as he and Chip approached their friend.

 

“Just some unfinished business, Sir,” Lee replied, smiling and allowing the heavy conversation to fade.  He was well aware that it would likely be a long time before anything surfaced; that was Gamma’s modus operandi.  He also had no intention of stewing about Karina and allowing her to disrupt his life any more than she had; at least, not until he could do something about it. 

 

“Then let’s head inside,” Harry suggested, swaying his hand toward the reception that Seaview’s Command Team was expected to attend.

 

“Aye Sir,” Lee replied with an easy smile, as Admiral Nelson, Captain Crane and Mr. Morton walked three abreast toward the gathering.

 

Meanwhile from a distance afar, a powerful telescopic camera clicked away pictures of Nelson, Crane, and Morton until they disappeared inside the building and out of sight.

 

THE END

 

Runaway Reactor

 

Tell me what you think!

lynnspage@mtaonline.net

 

 

 

 

Episode Credits

Third season episode, Destroy Seaview, written by Don Mullally; directed by Justus Addiss; original airdate March 19, 1967.  My story contains a significant retelling of the episode including plots, direct quotes, and paraphrases.

 

First season episode, Submarine Sunk Here, written by William Tunberg, directed by Leonard Horn, original airdate November 16, 1964. 

 

Second season episode, Death Ship, written by William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, directed by Abner Biberman, original airdate February 20, 1966.

 

*See my story “Until Justice is Rendered”

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2017, All Rights Reserved

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and her main characters belong to Irwin Allen

And the respective production companies