Memo

From Adm. J. Starke
ComSubPac
To Adm. H. Nelson
SSRN Seaview
Re: Wayward Whales

Harriman, you old sea dog! What's this I hear about two whales `escorting'
Seaview back to Santa Barbara? Not exactly normal behavior for them is it? Are
you luring them with food or sound waves or something? Need to know as the press
is certain you're up to no good.

From Adm. H. Nelson
SSRN Seaview
To Adm. J. Starke
ComSubPac
Re: Wayward Whales

Well Jiggs, in answer to your question, things here are well, for want of a
better word, weird. I'm afraid the whales seem a bit too friendly ( which is
only to be expected after we rescued the newborn which had gotten itself stuck
in a crevasse before it could get to the surface to breathe.)

Lee had pressured me to let him take out a diving team, lasso it with rope, and
use Seaview as a kind of crane to ease it out. Believe me, it was a race against
time to free the thing so `mama' could nudge it to the surface to breathe in
time.

While it was in the crevasse, I was afraid its cries would make `mama' attack
us. And pale puny things divers are compared to a whale, and I didn't enjoy the
prospect of Lee and his team being eaten. Not that whales usually eat nothing
much more than krill, but we both had our own term as appetizers in the belly of
a whale not to be wary.

Once freed, Lee `rode' alongside the whales to the surface, making sure to
completely cut the lasso around the creature, then after a brief stint topside
he returned with his team to the boat. But ever since, the whales have been
alongside us. A bit too close too, if the `affectionate' bumps against our hull
mean anything. So far no significant damage.

And I can only assume the bumps are affectionate. A way of thanking us perhaps.
And no doubt Seaview is big enough for the creatures to assume she's a whale
too. As for Lee, well, maybe the calf `imprinted' on him, somehow thought he was
some kind of uncle or something, and asked `mama' to accompany us.

Of course, there's no way to know. We'll just have to let things play out.