by Suzanne Robb
Iain let his eyes wander around the room, waiting for the questions and ideas on how to do this better. Less than three seconds passed before the first hand went up.
"Captain, I'm sure the presence of a doctor with the rescue crew would be beneficial in case any survivors are found. I should go and help search the sub. I'm the only one qualified to give medical aid." Iain looked at the doctor and smiled. Medical aid, his ass.
"Funny you should mention that, Doctor. I was going to ask if you wouldn't mind going over to help. I want you to work with Nina. We're working in groups of two on this."
"Ivan, you need to operate the submersible, because I need Ally here to watch Betty Loo. With Tom out of the game, we're down a pilot."
"Fine, I will do this, but once docked, I will be entering the sub to lead the rescue operation."
Iain planned on this. Either Ivan or the doctor was up to something, perhaps both, and his crew was caught in the crossfire.
"I want Marcus over there too. He can check the engine system and provide muscle to help with getting survivors over here."
Ally spoke up. "What about Kramer? It's not like he's doing anything over here to help."
"Kramer's already heading over there. He has to gather the samples from the research lab and bring them here. We need to know what they found."
"Who's partnering with him? You want this to be teams of two."
Iain thought about it. He was out of partners, except for himself.
"I guess me."
Ally sat back in her chair. "So Dutch and I will be the only ones here to deal with anything that goes wrong on the Betty Loo, and if anything goes wrong there, we can't help you."
"Ally, it's the only way. The operation is close to being done; just focus on that."
Ally sat back.
He knew she wouldn't like any plan that separated her from Marcus while they were several thousand feet below the ocean's surface, but it couldn't be avoided.
"Okay, that's it. Get ready to dive. Ivan, get the submersible ready. Doctor, get your stuff. Nina, check the suit. Marcus, do a last-minute engine check. Let's get to it, people."
The room started to empty out. The only ones left were Kramer, Iain, Ally, and Marcus. They all regarded one another uncomfortably. Finally, Iain couldn't take it anymore and left the room. The tension was driving him nuts.
As he entered the aisle way, Maxine waited for him.
"Captain, we need to talk."
"Talk."
"Privately." Iain started down the short set of stairs leading to his quarters.
Once they were both inside, he stared at Maxine.
"It's about Tom's blood work. I found something: a short-lasting but very effective hallucinogen. I don't think he's nuts; someone did it to him on purpose."
If Maxine were up to something, she wouldn't give him this information. Iain didn't know what to do except tell Ally.
"Thanks, Doc. I have to go and prepare for the operation."
"Of course, Captain."
The two exited the room. Iain wondered who'd drugged Tom and why. Iain entered the control room moments later and sat in his chair with a sigh. He doubted whether they were going to make it out of this job alive.
***
"I need to talk to the captain." Marcus stood up and offered his hand to Ally.
They sat in the rec room for several uncomfortable moments, but gave up delaying the inevitable. A few seconds later, they were in the control room. Iain wore a look of total desperation.
"Captain, we need to talk."
Iain sighed. "Marcus, you have to go. There's no way around it."
"I know. That's not what I want to talk about. It's this." Marcus handed the device he had found earlier in the engine room to Iain, who looked at it with fear.
"What the hell is it?"
"Looks like a camera to me. Not sure how many more there are. Found this one in the service way for the engine room."
Ally took the camera from Iain, as he had no idea what to do with it.
"It's still transmitting. Whoever planted it is still on the sub and watching us right now."
She covered the camera with her finger and went to the communication panel. She took out a small toolkit, and Marcus watched as she started to dismantle the miniature camera like a pro. Moments later, it fell to pieces. It was designed to crumble when opened, to prevent the signal from being back-traced. Marcus had learned a thing or two from Ally over the last couple of years.
"It's a Japanese design. The Koreans use their technology all the time. These cameras are excellent at doing their job, and untraceable," Ally said.
"So we have someone on board who's a Korean spy?"
"Looks like it." Ally put her toolkit away.
"Think they could be the one doing all the sabotaging?"
"I don't think so. In fact, I think we have two opposing sides working this job. On one side, the Koreans want the information from the sub we're going to. The other side is trying to stop us from getting there- or, more specifically, trying to stop the Koreans from getting what's on the sub."
Iain swallowed. He took the digital chip out of his shirt pocket and tossed it to Ally.
"Take a look at this. It might give you some idea of what we're dealing with."
Ally and Marcus watched the images on the screen. The sounds were eerie, but the images didn't provide them with any further clues as to what they were dealing with. They just knew the S.O.S. wasn't typical, and it scared the hell out of them.
"This doesn't even sound like an S.O.S. to me; it sounds like an invitation." Ally turned towards Iain with questioning eyes.
"There's more. A few minutes before we left dry dock, I received a message that one of the tanks on the Betty Loo is full of explosives. Any indication we're aborting the mission will result in our destruction."
Ally jumped up from her seat. "Iain, why the hell didn't you say anything? Jesus Christ, there's a bomb on board and you didn't think this was something we needed to know?"
Iain pointed to the camera.
"I didn't say something because of that possibility. They have spies, cameras, and who knows what else? I was trying to keep you safe."
Marcus was still watching the S.O.S. He turned off the sound and focused on the image.
"There might be another explanation. If you look at the image closely, all the lights in the background indicate the engine and controls are within the normal operating parameters. I think whatever went wrong went wrong with the crew."
"It doesn't make any sense. If the sub is fine, why not engage the homing beacon? Let it come back to them, or whoever owns the damn thing." Iain thought that would be the most obvious thing to do.
"Might be busted or too deep to engage. Or maybe after whatever happened to the crew, they want us to come to them instead of putting the public in danger. There could be any number of reasons as to why it wasn't activated. I just know we aren't doing a normal search and rescue."
Ally cleared her throat. "I hate to point this out, but the explosives might be to prevent us from returning once we find out what happened on the sub."
This left a total silence in the room. Iain had thought of that too. To hear it out loud was like being kicked in the stomach.
If what they found was too dangerous- or too contagious- whoever hired them wouldn't want them to return. Just blow them up and chalk it up to pressure problems; it was an old sub, after all. Everything seemed to be falling into place.
"We need to get over to the other sub and find out what happened. We just have to make sure we don't die while we do it." Iain wanted the job over.
"Gee, Iain, you always know the right thing to say to boost morale."
"It's a gift. There's one more thing: Tom was drugged with some sort of hallucinogen. He isn't crazy; someone wanted him out of commission so they could do things and not get caught on camera."
"We know it's Kramer. What's he up to? Think he might be synthesizing something in his lab
?" Iain knew Ally had great instincts when it came to sizing people up.
"Not sure, but considering his past, I doubt he's up to anything good."
"Thanks, Iain; this wasn't getting complicated enough." Iain noted the sarcasm in Ally's voice.
"Like I said, it's a gift." Iain sank deeper into his captain's chair and thought.
"I'm going to go and check my engine analysis." Marcus left the room.
Ally went to her seat and started to prepare the diving sequence. She also went over the systems check she had started before the meeting. Everything still came back normal.
Ally thought about their situation, trying to solve the riddles they kept running into. There were at least two spies on board. Tom lost his mind again due to being drugged by Kramer. They'd found a spy camera, and she knew there were likely many more.
The sub they were supposed to be rescuing held an unknown danger. Ally had prepped Betty Loo, an old sub, to dive to a depth that would most likely crush them to death. And most annoying of all, she still didn't know who all the culprits were. Ivan, Kramer, and Maxine all seemed to be guilty of one thing or another. She almost forgot there was a bomb on board too.
***
Nina went into the diving room and checked on her suit. She glanced over at Dutch as he spoke.
"How was the meeting?"
"Fine. You're lucky you missed it."
"Figured as much. We diving soon?"
"Yep. I'm going over my suit now."
"Then I need to help Marcus do a check on the engine and electrical systems. Think you can keep an eye on the submersible?"
"No problem. Go do your thing." Dutch left the room.
***
Maxine entered the med lab and went to her desk. She got her empty data chips out. She would need these in case the ones on the other sub were burned out and she needed to download from the mainframe, assuming it still worked. She also grabbed some sample vials and the syringes she'd prepared with an anti-toxin.
Her bosses had given her the anti-toxin ingredients with the instructions to use it on herself if she became infected, and on any crewmembers she thought might be. She didn't like the look of the glowing liquid, but if it would save her, she wasn't going to complain.
Lastly, she stood up and went to the area where Johnny was stored. She undid the latch and opened the small door. She pushed the button and waited as the flat metal slab holding Johnny rolled out. She lifted the sheet, paying no attention to the vacant look of Johnny's eyes. The smell didn't bother her anymore either. She grabbed the large bag on top of him.
She knew it was the perfect place to hide it during the trip out. If someone got it in their heads to investigate her and checked in her medical bag, they would have found guns, some small explosives, a Lycra suit, and a backup communication device.
Once the trip started to the other sub, she could carry it around and people would simply assume it held her medical gear. She hit the button and let the tray holding Johnny slide back. She was in such a rush that she forgot to close the latch and secure the door.
***
Kramer watched Tom, who was still out cold. He knew the truth; he had singled out Tom because Ally was the superior pilot. He also needed someone who would accept a cup of coffee from a crewmate.
He looked around the small room. When they boarded the other sub, they would have to work in scary conditions. From what he had been told, any survivors brought over were potential carriers of something nasty.
The people who hired him gave him the basics: It was a search and rescue dealing with an unusual oceanic phenomenon that contaminated humans and altered their behaviour in a negative way.
Not knowing any more, Kramer decided to prepare for every possible situation. He needed to work without the cameras, because if they saw what he was doing, it would only raise questions he didn't have answers to.
After realizing there were spies on board, he really didn't want to go to the other sub. He had found a camera and listening device in his lab a few days ago. He didn't know who did it, but whoever it was knew what he was up to and hadn't said anything.
Since the others had no idea what they could be facing, he decided to keep it that way. Fewer survivors meant a larger cut for him when he got back. Pulling out his guns and several specially made tranquilizer darts, he started to mentally prepare himself for the trip ahead.
Emergency lighting would be their primary source of illumination if the backup generator still worked. Finding the sample containers would be more difficult, but his bosses had given him detailed directions. Glad for once that the captain didn't like him, he was fairly certain he wouldn't go out of his way to help him or keep an eye on him.
Though he was as prepared as he could be, something about this job gave him a bad feeling. He'd dealt with nasty stuff before, even created some bad things, but his bosses had made sure to tell him to prepare for anything. They didn't tell him what to prepare or how to prepare, just to prepare.
So he reinforced the containment area, made special compounds, which he loaded into tranquilizer darts, and prepared a vaccine of sorts. He needed to work up the nerve to test it on himself.
***
Dutch sat in the staircase before the electrical room, cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he caressed the walls. Marcus could do everything without him. Dutch had his own things to take care of, mainly the Betty Loo.
"You can do this, girl. I know you can."
Chapter Fifteen
Ally reached over and hit the switch on the communications panel to make an announcement.
"Get ready. Starting descent to site now. Things might get rough, so you better hold on to something."
Hitting the off switch, she piloted the sub deeper and deeper until they could go no farther and would have to use the submersible to go the rest of the way.
The sounds started several minutes later. Twisting metal, screeching melds rubbing against one another, echoes of things rupturing in the sides of the sub. Several lights went out, then came back on, flickering. Sparks flew out of several image screens throughout the sub.
In the parts of the sub not visible to human eyes, small drips began at various joints. The engineering room panel lit up red and indicated that the rising pressure was too great. Hull integrity failure is imminent.
Marcus and Ally saw the warning flare up on their screen. They both knew it needed to be ignored. Ally continued to manoeuvre Betty Loo lower and lower. With each second, the stress throughout the sub increased exponentially.
Iain sat in the captain's chair, not feeling very captain-like at all. Nina waited in the diving room for hell to break loose. She still didn't feel good, but chalked it up to the whole messed-up situation they were in.
***
Kramer waited in his research lab. He held on to his lab table and prayed they made it to the site in one piece. His gun was within easy reach, and two large bags for the sample containers and tranquilizer darts lay next to him. He'd never been so scared in his life. He was hired for this job because someone wanted him to die or because of his expertise with dangerous organisms. Either way, he knew the situation was dire at best.
***
Ivan sat in his bunkroom. He did everything he had been told to do. He knew he would see horrible things on the other sub. He also knew not all of them were going to return. He did not know exactly what they were up against, but bringing his gun seemed like a good idea.
From his observations of the crew, he knew Kramer was up to something and Maxine was not who she claimed to be. He watched a trail of water as it travelled down his wall from the light fixture, then leaned away from the sparks.
***
Maxine tapped her foot impatiently. She was ready to go and get the samples. Her part of the job was so close to being done. All she needed to do was bring back a sample of the organism the other crew uncovered. She knew someone else was working against her boss and had sent Kramer to thwart her mission. Too bad they didn't realiz
e the man was a moron. She checked her bag for the eighth time to make sure her gun was there and loaded.
***
Marcus watched helplessly as puddles of water started to form. In some areas, water flowed freely down the sides of the sub. There was nothing he could do but watch and wait. Everything about what they were doing went against his better judgement, but it wasn't his call. All he could do was be ready when something went wrong.
***
Dutch, still in the staircase, traced a few lines of water flowing down the walls next to him. With his free hand, he got out another cigarette and lit it. He took a deep breath and silently watched as more water started to trickle down.
***
"We're there, Captain." Iain could hear the relief in her voice, and he couldn't blame her. It had been the longest fifteen minutes of his life.
Iain hit the intercom. "We're on point. Get to your stations and get the job done." Iain relaxed a bit after he made the announcement.
He hadn't thought they were going to make it this far. Perhaps they would be okay after all. A rumble ripped through the Betty Loo. The sub jolted and jerked around.
***
Nina cracked her head on the diving room wall.
Dutch lay knocked out cold in the stairwell.
Maxine was thrown to the floor and knocked out.
The compartment holding Johnny flew open, and his tray slid out, his body falling to the floor.
Marcus was tossed into the lockers and received a gash along his left shoulder.
Ivan lost his balance, but avoided injury by grabbing onto a bunk.
Kramer fell to the ground, unconscious.
Tom was whipped around, the restraints keeping him in place.
***
Ally felt herself thrown forward. Her harness prevented her from being tossed out of the chair. Iain hit the floor and held on to the base of his chair for dear life.