Far From The Sea We Know

by Frank M Sheldon

CHAPTER 20

  Matthew gently knocked on the wooden door of Thorssen’s cabin.

  “It’s me.”

  “Come in.”

  The Captain was in his chair. He waved his hand toward the impeccably made bunk.

  “Shouldn’t Penny be here?” Matthew said.

  Thorssen shook his head. “More important someone I trust keeps an eye on the reporter. You saw how she suddenly changed. And so did Chiffrey. Whatever we’re dealing with is affecting people. Had a brush with it myself.”

  “The morning we flew in to Abercrombie.”

  “I mean this morning. I saw her disappear.”

  Without further preamble Thorssen went on. “I was staying close to her, waiting for…well, don’t really know what. She started to sink, you see that?”

  “Yes, I had a mask on.”

  “Followed her down about twenty meters, but my air pressure alarm was flashing, knew I only had about five minutes, so I turn to start up, then it happened.”

  Matthew waited. The cabin seemed so silent. The Captain had closed his eyes and looked like he was meditating, or remembering. Finally he opened them and said, “Thought I’d never forget that color. Now I can’t bring it back.”

  “What color?”

  “Never saw it before. She’s in the middle of that quick shimmer of glory, then she slipped away.” He glanced at the photo of his wife on the wall.

  “Did you check the time?”

  “Getting to that. Right after, something like a concussion wave hit me, but more of a sudden pull, like when a ship goes down and you’re in the water nearby. Notice anything up top?”

  “No. Maybe you had to be in the water. Is it possible that you just lost sight of her?”

  “Yes, but I doubt it. As for the time, I did check and it matched the signature on the sonar playback we just watched. Same as when the blips disappeared.”

  “You seemed concerned that we not do or say anything that Chiffrey could pick up on, but then you let him watch the playback.”

  The Captain almost smiled. “Hiding a little of what happened out there this morning got Chiffrey. Then, giving him a quick look at the sonar, we hooked him. He’s had a taste now and wants more. My mind’s changed about cooperating. Without anything to tell them different, the people who pull Chiffrey’s strings will start to see us more as trouble than asset. They need to know they need us. Then there’s Ripler.”

  “Now, besides the Air Force investigation disrupting the work of the students Jack blames me for the injured whale.”

  “He’ll use everything against us, but especially if we come home with nothing. Ripler’s patrons on the Board will call this trip a scandal and use it to push Penny’s father into retirement.”

  The Captain must have noticed how Matthew looked at him, because he added, “And right after that, they’ll sell the Valentina. We can’t wait. We either play this hand ‘all in,’ or we lose it all.”

  “I think Jack’s losing it, and I don’t mean his hand.”

  “Always was that below the surface with Ripler. His rigging’s strung too tight, but don’t underestimate him. Or his friends.”

  “What about the minisub? Why look for the whale if you think it disappeared?”

  “No one will believe what I just told you. If we don’t look, later they’ll ask why not.”

  The Captain opened a drawer, pulled out a bottle of single malt whiskey and a glass and set them in front of Matthew.

  “Picked up a case of this when we were moored in a little cove in the north of Scotland a few years ago. I’m on duty, you’re not.”

  “Well…”

  “Just took you off. Have a shot, you earned it.”

  Matthew hesitated only a moment before nodding his assent, and Thorssen poured him a double. The first sip slid down like silken fire and turned into a second longer sip. The Captain did smile this time. Before Matthew could take another, there was a quick knock on the door.

  “Captain, it’s Dirk. The whales are on the move again!”

  “I’ll be on the bridge in two minutes,” Thorssen answered back.

  “What are you going to do?” Matthew asked.

  “I’ll know when we get there.” Thorssen eyed the still mostly full shot glass. “You’ll have to save that, more’s the pity.”

  Up on the bridge, Matthew stood well behind Thorssen who was scrutinizing the departing whales. Becka was beside him taking her turn at the helm.

  “They just pulled together suddenly,” she said. “All at the same time and synchronized again.”

  “Follow them.”

  “Then you’ll lose the lead whale, won’t you?” Chiffrey said, slipping through the hatchway. “The one that went down?”

  “Can’t be in two places at once.”

  “Maybe you can.”

  Everyone looked at Chiffrey, and he went on. “Remember our cruiser, the one on the way for the news team? She’s sailing in a small convoy with a salvage vessel and a support ship. We could send one of them after the whales, while you stay here to search for the lead whale. I can get the authority.”

  “I’m sure you can,” Matthew said.

  “Hang on, boy, I’m not trying to steal your show.” Chiffrey turned to Thorssen and Becka. “Wouldn’t it be valuable to find and retrieve the dead whale—assuming it is truly dead—and still be able to follow the rest to see where they go and what they do? You could even put some of your people on board one of our ships. They have knowledgeable people on board already…” His voice trailed off.

  The Captain stared at Chiffrey and finally said, “These ships you called were on the way here to track the whales anyway, right?”

  “We have an interest here. That’s a fact neither of us can change. So, why not make the best of it?”

  “Give us the rest of the story,” Matthew said, “and maybe we can.”

  “That’s not up to me. For the record, I did recommend we fill you in on all relevant details. I didn’t request the escort. I spoke against it. And I’m sticking my neck out by telling you this.”

  The Captain was silent for another moment and then laughed. “Lot of necks stretched out lately.”

  The comm buzzed and Thorssen grabbed it, but only said, “I’ll take it in the chart room.”

  The Captain barely glanced at Becka as he said, “Follow the whales.” He left without bothering to see if his order would be carried out.

  Becka ran her fingers through her thick curly hair a few times, before turning the wheel and bringing up some speed.

  “The Navy’s coming to help,” Chiffrey said. “You think they’re going to steam in here firing depth charges or something?”

  She waved off his justification with her hand and said, “The Captain was right. Your ships are going to track them.”

  Chiffrey seemed suddenly tired. “For the record, I did tell them that it would be obvious to you. We’re just trying to understand what’s going down here, same as you.”

  “But there has to be more to it,” Matthew said.

  “Speaking of ‘more to it,’ you haven’t gone out of your way to tell us about the whale ‘displacement,’ have you?”

  “Ripler filled you in?”

  “Don’t have any names for you, boy.”

  “Cut the ‘boy’ crap. I’m older than you!”

  “Calm down. It’s just a term of endearment where I come from. No disrespect intended…Mister Amati. Listen, I’m going to go check on the cameraman. See you all later.”

  He left Matthew and Becka alone on the bridge.

  “With us gone,” she said, “there is nothing to prevent the Navy from searching this area themselves and recovering the carcass.”

  “Do you believe we should stay?”

  “No. Did you notice the whales are back in lockstep?”

  “After the leader disappeared,” Matthew said. “I wondered if they’d go back to that.”

  “She didn’t disappear, she’s dead.”

  Before he
could answer, Dirk came through the hatchway.

  “You’re early,” Becka said.

  “I know, but I’d be happy to start now. Could use a little focus.”

  “Fine with me. It’s all yours.”

  She stepped away from the wheel and stretched, bending backward in a yoga arc.

  “How is Jack?” Matthew asked her.

  “Let’s go,” she said, not looking at him. “I need to move.”

  He followed her out onto a small deck just below the bridge, and she stretched against the railing. She started speaking, staring at the sea the whole time.

  “He’s not so good. This whole affair has been extremely hard on him, and the incident this morning…”

  She stretched her arms up as high as she could, then suddenly let them collapse as if unplugged. She still did not look at him, but continued speaking.

  “The injured calf and now the dead lead whale—all terribly traumatic for Jack. Whether you believe it or not, he cares deeply. He has his own ideas about how we need to be responsible and effective, and to tell you the truth, they makes sense to me. We can’t just appeal to people to love the planet or something because it’s all so marvelous and fun. We don’t need romantics at this point, damn it, there isn’t time for that anymore. We need to be effective across the whole range of action, including politically and economically. We have to prove to people that it’s in their own best financial interest to manage the oceans well, because that’s the only way we’ll get enough of them behind us. That will mean making some tough choices. It’s too late to save everything.”

  She turned around and for the first time looked directly at Matthew.

  “Mary is with him. Somebody else took over her shift at the tracking station. Jack trusts her completely. I’m sure he’ll be okay.”

  “Could I ask about what happened to him the other morning?”

  “What do you mean?”

  He had a feeling she already knew what he meant, but he said as calmly as he could, “You mentioned that something had happened to Jack the morning before I got here. Remember? He didn’t want to talk about it.”

  “Yes. Well, I don’t know, it wasn’t—”

  “Becka, please…”

  She paused, and for the first time since he had been onboard, seemed nervous.

  “Let’s walk,” she said and abruptly stepped down toward the fo’c’sle. They went all the way to the tip of the bow. She faced him, her hands braced against the railing.

  “He went blank for a few minutes,” she said.

  “Blank?”

  “I asked him something, and he didn’t answer. I looked over and repeated it, and he was just staring. His eyes seemed out of focus. I looked at his monitor. It was flickering.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know, a glitch, I guess. Flickering on and off, changing color. I switched it off.”

  “Didn’t you think that was odd?”

  “The gear malfunctions a few times a week. It's a new rig, essentially we are taking it for a test drive. At the time, I was more concerned about Jack. He was starting to hum and…”

  He did not say anything, just waited for her to go on.

  “I gave him a shake and called his name. Nothing. He didn’t answer, just hummed a few notes over and over. I started to get worried and shook him again, harder this time. I rubbed his hands. I was about ready to call for someone when he came out of it.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He didn’t seem to realize exactly what had happened. He noticed we had lost the whales, but refused to go into it.”

  “Has he ever mentioned it since?”

  “I tried to bring it up once, besides the time when you were there. He just clammed up, so I dropped it.”

  “You’ve known him a while.”

  “Six years. I’ve never seen anything remotely like this happen to him before.”

  “Are you aware of any other unusual behavior among the crew?”

  “Maybe. Damn it, we’re losing perspective here. I’m getting tired of all the hocus pocus.”

  “I don’t blame you. What about the Navy?”

  “What about them?”

  “Becka, they’ve got three ships on the way. Do you think they’d be allocating this many resources just to track down the cause of a technical anomaly?”

  “I don’t know enough to say. Major trouble with their front line defense radar could be reason enough.”

  “But Lieutenant Chiffrey just mentioned the displacement. They know.”

  “In the context of you not telling them about it. He didn’t say he believed they really moved, and I certainly do not.”

  She stalked away a few steps, then whirled around to face him. “Listen, this is not some boutique adventure cruise to the Bermuda Triangle. We’re funded to do straight research out here, not to delve into paranormal nonsense.”

  “So, what do we do, just let the Navy take over?”

  “I don’t know,” she suddenly yelled, then lunged forward and shoved him so hard he fell over. “Stop haranguing me, damn it!”

  He lay on the deck looking up at her, shocked beyond words. She stood over him, her chest heaving.

  “I’m sorry,” she said, then spun around and darted off, breaking into a run before she disappeared through a hatchway.

  Great job of breaking the ice, Matthew thought.

  His arrival had disrupted her projects and those of every student onboard. He was the natural one to blame. Perhaps the albatross that had been hung around his neck belonged there, but he was sick of trying to justify himself, and with still no answers.

  He looked at his watch. It was nearly noon, which meant that the ship coming for the news crew should be arriving in a couple of hours. He headed off to find Penny to see how she was doing with the TV reporter. After asking around, he wandered down a companionway, and soon heard their voices emanating from a small equipment room that had been set up to house their new guest. They were arguing.

  He hesitated, but knocked anyway. “It’s me.”

  “Backup at last,” Penny said. “Door’s open.”

  He cautiously poked his head in to survey the terrain. Penny was leaning back against the bulkhead right next to the hatch, her arms folded in front of her. The newswoman was reclining on an improvised bunk, and her annoyed look turned to a smile as she looked up and saw him. “Can’t you do something about this?” she asked.

  “I’m sorry, Miss…”

  “Hart. Lorraine Hart. Why can’t anyone remember my name around here? Listen, I am really sorry about the whale. I didn’t realize there was any danger. I’m sorry. It was an accident. Anyway, the baby whale that got injured is almost better.”

  “Seems that way, but we’ll have to wait and see. And the lead whale, she—”

  “She’ll be fine.”

  “Well, no,” Matthew said. “She was under too long. She never came back up. They’re not fish. They need to surface or they drown.”

  “No, your whale will be all right. She said so.”

  Matthew gave Penny a quick glance. “Whatever Penny told you, Miss Hart, we don’t know that yet.”

  “Lorraine. It’s Lorraine,” she said, “and your girlfriend here won’t tell me a thing. The whale let me know.”

  “You lost me.”

  “Why can’t you hear?” She asked, looking at him as if he was a sick puppy.

  Penny shook her head. “She’s been going on and on about this. Good luck.”

  “All right, then,” Matthew said. “Can I ask how you know that?”

  “I have no idea. How could I?”

  “Sure, of course,” he said softly. “But, doesn’t it seem, well, a little odd?”

  “No, not at all. It was just before she left, but—ha hah…stop it, hey! Ha hah!” She laughed harder and harder until her face turned lobster red. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she doubled over into a ball, then abruptly straightened, snorted a few times, and gasped for air. />
  It was as if Matthew were watching someone else’s dream. He looked at Penny, but she just glanced at Lorraine, and said in a low voice, “Sorry, but I’m close to my limit here.”

  Lorraine’s laughter had simmered down to a steady rhythm of soft giggles. She smiled and seemed blissfully happy.

  A knock sounded on the hatch. “It’s me. Dirk.”

  Matthew opened it slowly and Dirk leaned in. “The Captain would like to see you two in his cabin. Right away. There will be a meeting after lunch, everyone who can make it, in C-lab. I’ll watch her for now.”

  “Be our guest,” Penny replied and headed out. “If she demands food, just throw her a mackerel.”

  “Huh?” Dirk looked at Lorraine, who was still giggling. “She okay?”

  “Lorraine’s going to need some lunch,” Matthew said. He started out the hatchway and gave Dirk a sign to follow. They stopped a half-dozen steps down the passageway.

  “Watch her, and be ready for anything,” Matthew said. He tapped his temple and spun his finger. “A tranquilizer may be in order. Maybe whatever they gave the cameraman. Do you want me to send someone else?”

  “They promised me some help in a while.”

  “Okay.” He reached over, held Dirk’s forearm and whispered, “Watch yourself.”

  Dirk returned the clasp and said quietly, “Guess I just need to roll with all this.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What?”

  “What you just said. Why did you say that? You said, ‘I need to roll.’”

  “Nothing, really.”

  “I’m late,” was all Matthew could finally manage, letting it go not so much by decision as overload. He turned and ran down the corridor to catch up with Penny. They walked quickly down toward Thorssen’s cabin, his breath faster than the short run would account for.

  “What’s up now?” she asked.

  “What’s not?”

  “I mean this meeting with Captain Thorssen. Any idea?”

  “All bets are off at the moment. Lorraine…”

  “She doesn’t seem to think it at all strange that a whale spoke to her or whatever she believes happened. Almost seems like psychotic delusion.”

  They arrived at Thorssen’s cabin. Penny knocked.

  “Enter,” came the reply.

  Matthew pressed up close against Penny’s back as she swung the door open and stood in the hatchway.

  “We’ve been talking since I got a call from Martin,” Thorssen said, glancing at Chiffrey who sat like a child on a low stool by the desk.

  Penny guided Matthew to the bed, and they sat down side by side. “What’s the news from Dad?” she asked.

  “Not so good. He got a call from someone on the Board at the Point. Questioning his judgment for our change of plans. And for getting involved with the military.”

  Penny glanced at Chiffrey. “And whoever else they are.”

  “As I mentioned before,” he said, ignoring her dig, “what we would like to do is work together on this. We need your help.”

  “Then don’t go behind our backs,” Penny said.

  Chiffrey leaned back on his stool and smiled. “I’ve just made a promise to the Captain that I will make an all-out effort to persuade the brass to give you a high enough level of security clearance that you get all of our side of the story. We’ll catch more flies with sugar—that’s what I told them and I know they’ll go along.”

  “And what about us?” Penny asked. “You must know that we will eventually make public and put into the record whatever we find. Isn’t that likely to conflict with your so-called ‘security’?”

  “Mine, no. The Air Force or certain other agencies of the federal government, it depends. I can’t give you a guarantee—much as I’d like to—that you will be able to print everything.”

  “Well, then,” Penny said.

  “I can, nevertheless, say that we are not interested in suppressing any information having to do with marine science. We still don’t know what phenomenon we are really dealing with here, of course. In the end, it may have nothing to do with your work out here, and truth to tell, that would be my best guess at present.”

  He almost laughed. “Look, you’re in way over your heads here, and I’m not talking about water. You need us, too, and probably more than you realize.”

  Matthew was tired and had decided to just listen. Besides, he could see that Penny had enough wind in her sails for both of them. Now she was starting on a new tack. “We know there’s more to it than the technical problems with your radar.”

  “With a bit of luck, I’ll be able to fill you all in later. Now wait a sec, please—”

  “Later, it will have to be,” Thorssen said, holding up his hand like a referee. “We have a meeting in half an hour, so we better get to lunch.”

  “Now that, at least, is something we can work on together.” Chiffrey spoke as if everything had worked out great, when it clearly hadn’t.

  Matthew got up first and went out, the rest following him down the passageway.

  “You’re the cause of all this!” Ripler cried as he came around the corner from nowhere and pointed his index finger in Matthew’s face like a sword. He grabbed Matthew by his shirt collar and wouldn’t let go. Mary Sims appeared and tried to pull Ripler back, but he was oblivious to her efforts.

  “I hold you responsible for the death of that whale!” he yelled in Matthew’s face, spraying him with saliva. “Why didn’t you listen!”

  Matthew took Ripler by the wrist and stared into his ravaged eyes. Anguish played upon every muscle in his face, contorting it into a mask of despair. There was incredible strength in his grip and the shirt collar tightened around Matthew’s neck.

  “Jack, let go. We still don’t know for sure…”

  “She’s dead, dead, dead! Nothing but evil you’ve brought, wretched fool, they’re using you, why can’t you see? Leave us now before…”

  All at once the tension dissolved out of Ripler’s hitherto taut body and he collapsed to the floor like clothes gone empty of their wearer. He sat leaning forward with his legs straight out like a child, his head in his hands. Matthew still held his wrist but loosened his grip. Mary supported Ripler from behind.

  “Let’s get him to a quiet place,” Chiffrey said to Mary. He turned toward Thorssen and whispered something about tranquilizers.

  “Do you think…,” Matthew said. “I mean, I could try—”

  “Best if we take it from here,” Chiffrey said. Matthew got the meaning clear enough and nodded agreement. With Mary’s help, Thorssen and Chiffrey got Ripler up and guided his listless form back toward the infirmary.

  Matthew felt Penny’s hand on his hip.

  “You okay?”

  “Not really.”

  “Go to my room. I’ll bring us something to eat.”

  “Okay. Thanks.”

  “And maybe you could air out the bottle for me. It’s past noon.”

  “No argument.”

  He held her hand and drew her closer. Her breath warmed his neck, but the feeling combined with the lingering sensation of Ripler’s hand tugging and shaking him.

  “Okay, so go,” he said. “I’m starving.

  He looked at her, and the innocence of a child suddenly smiled through her face. Why would she want to have anything to do with him?

  She walked away, and said over her shoulder, “Don’t complicate it, Matthew.”

  And, of course, he already had.