“I don't need it,” said Richard. “I'm still trying to figure out why we passed out and woke up feeling high.”
“I don't see any empty bottles,” said Lindsay. “Maybe we ate something we shouldn't have. There was no reason to drink the water. We have plenty of bottled water.”
….............................
“I'm going to take a reading on the air in the lava tube,” said Lindsay.
“Good idea,” said Richard. “I think we were already in here earlier. Those look like our footprints.”
“This is odd,” said Lindsay. “There is a higher than normal level of argon in the atmosphere. You don't suppose that is what made us pass out?”
“Well, those are definitely our footprints,” said Richard. “We must have been fine when we went in but we can't remember anything after that. We'd better not try it again without the proper breathing equipment. We're probably lucky we got out the first time.”
“I'm sure we can find some interesting rocks out here,” said Lindsay. “Better get your laptop. We may need it to find the jeep. You know, I was hoping for a little more excitement on this trip.”
“My next trip will involve scuba diving in search of super magnets in the Bermuda Triangle,” said Richard. “Ever done any scuba diving in shark infested waters?”
“You've just got to take me along,” said Lindsay. “My machine will be invaluable.”
“Can you make it waterproof?” asked Richard.
“I won't have to,” said Lindsay. “It will detect a super magnet from a mile away. But I'll work on it. There's plenty of other stuff to find on the ocean floor, like sunken treasure.”
“That's the attitude,” said Richard. “We're going to have loads of fun.”
“Aren't you afraid of getting lost in the triangle?” asked Lindsay. “I don't know a lot about it, but what I have read was all very mysterious.”
“I love a mystery,” said Richard. “Or at least I love to solve them. Someday we'll have to come back here and figure out whats up with those argon readings.”
“Do you believe in aliens?” asked Lindsay. “Most of the attempts to explain the triangle involve little green men from Alpha Centauri or whatever.”
“Sounds like you're not convinced,” said Richard. “I try to keep an open mind. I wish I could remember that dream. For a moment, I was convinced that they were real.”
“I wonder if hypnotic regression can help you recall a dream?” asked Lindsay.
“I find it easier to believe in aliens than in hypnotic regression,” said Richard, “Hypnotism may be posible, but recalling past events accurately that you have completely forgotten is all a bunch of hogwash.”
“The mind is a tricky thing,” said Lindsay. “And yours doesn't seem to be very open to the idea of regression.”
“I'm only open to the idea of aliens until I'm convinced otherwise.” said Richard. “You never said whether you believed in aliens.”
“The jury's still out,” said Lindsay. “I want to believe.”
“Me too,” said Richard. “It opens up such posibilities. I could never discuss this with Ingrid,”
“I know how you feel,” said Lindsay. “If it wasn't in his computer games, it didn't exist for Jeff. Some men just never grow up.”
“I don't want to grow up either,” said Richard. “But I'm willing to share my world with the right person.”
“You'll let me know when you find her,” said Lindsay.”Right?”
“I think you already know,” said Richard as he placed the ring on her finger. “Try this on and see how it fits.”
“Richard! It's beautiful,” said Lindsay. “Just try to get it back off. It's a perfect fit.”
“Speaking of perfect fits,” said Richard. “Look at that rock.”
“It's almost identical to the one back home,” said Lindsay. “Should I run a test?”
“It doesn't matter,” said Richard. “This is what we came for. Let's go home and start our real adventure.”
IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE EARTH II
“I 'm going to drop anchor here in the cove,” said Richard. “We need to do some practice dives to test the equipment and you need to log a few hours before we hit the deeper waters.”
“I've dove before,” said Lindsay. “I'll be fine.”
“What you did was little more than snorkling in a swimming pool,” said Richard. “This is new state of the art equipment. It will require almost constant monitoring at first. I want it to be second nature to you when we're out there with sharks and other distractions. And we need to check your machine underwater to be sure it functions properly. Even with the rebreathers, we can't afford to waste time on wild goose chases.”
“It should function just fine underwater,” said Lindsay. “In the triangle may be a different story, but we're not going to find that out until we get out there.”
“We need to check it for leaks,” said Richard. “We can't afford to lose it. It's the only one of its kind. And I kind of feel that way about you.”
“That's sweet, Richard,” said Lindsay. “But I still say we're wasting time.”
“We've got all the time we need,” said Richard. “Caution in dangerous situations is never a waste of time.”
“You're right, Darling,” said Lindsay. “But I'd like a little excitement.”
“Excitement is more fun when you can handle it,” said Richard. “Otherwise, it's nothing but danger.”
“What if there's nothing interesting to find in the cove?” asked Lindsay. “How will we know if the machine is working properly?”
“I've already tossed some of my more interesting rocks overboard,” said Richard. “I want them back. Don't disappoint me.”
“You didn't,” said Lindsay. “I thought you understood. My machine can analyze any rock we find, but the only ones it can find are either magnetic or radioactive.”
“You're kidding,” said Richard. “I didn't just throw away three of my best rocks.”
“There is one possibility,” said Lindsay. “I can analyze the water. The rocks will probably dissolve to some extent. But we'll need to hurry.”
“No problem,” said Richard. “Let's get suited up.”
....................
“I'm picking up trace amounts of tungsten,” said Lindsay. “Does that sound like one of your rocks?”
“That could be one of them,” said Richard. “Let's hurry.”
“I'm feeling a little light-headed,” said Lindsay.
“Turn the red knob clockwise a quarter turn,” said Richard. “How's that?”
“That's much better,” said Lindsay. “These transmitters and receivers make communication a snap, but shouldn't you have told me how to adjust the equipment before we got into the water.”
“There wasn't time,” said Richard. “We're looking for needles in a haystack, and the haystack is on fire.”
“That's quite an analogy,” said Lindsay. “What if I had passed out?”
“The equipment should auto adjust before that would happen,” said Richard. “Remind me to check your vital monitors when we get back to the boat.”
“Monitors?” asked Lindsay. “What monitors?”
“Oops,” said Richard. “Let's head back to the boat.”
“I'll be okay,” said Lindsay. “We'll only get one chance to find your rocks.”
“At the next sign of trouble, we're turning around,” said Richard. “No ifs, ands, or buts.”
“This way,” said Lindsay. “That first rock can't be too far away. The reading is getting stronger.”
“Let me in front,” said Richard. “You keep an eye on the machine while I keep an eye out for the rock.”
“Wait a minute,” said Lindsay. “I'm getting some strange readings. Richard! Did you fart?”
“That's some machine you've got there,” said Richard. “Maybe you should lead the way.”
“Do that in a wet suit and you're going to need more ballast,” laughed Lindsay.<
br />
....................
“That's two out of three,” said Lindsay. “Does the last one contain gold?”
“No,” said Richard. “Are you picking up traces of gold on the machine?”
“A trace,” said Lindsay. “It might be worth investigating. Just how valuable is the third rock.”
“Let's head in the direction of the gold,” said Richard. “But keep a lookout for other rare minerals.”
“Like magnesiotaaffeite?” asked Lindsay.
“You found it,” said Richard. “Lead the way.”
“You had a sample of magnesiotaaffeite and you tossed it into the ocean,” said Lindsay. “Are you nuts?”
“I had confidence in you,” said Richard. “And you didn't dissapoint me.”
“We haven't found it yet,” said Lindsay. “Is that what I think it is?”
“What do you think it is?” asked Richard. “Because it looks like a Spanish Galleon to me.”
“That's what I think it is,” said Lindsay. “My readings are leading us in that direction.”
“There's my rock,” said Richard. “Now we can concentrate on the gold. Maybe there are gold doubloons on board the wreck.”
“It's hard to believe no one has discovered this before now,” said Lindsay. “Wait a minute. I'm getting an error message. The magnetic resonance detector is malfunctioning.”
“Do you think it's broken?” asked Richard. “Or is something external causing the problem?”
“Whatever the reason,” said Lindsay, “it's going to be useless until it's fixed. Let's head back to the boat. Take a GPS reading so we can find the wreck tomorrow.”
“The GPS isn't working either,” said Richard. “We should backtrack. If we don't get this working, we're going to have a tough time finding the boat.”
“You're breaking up,” said Lindsay. “Please repeat. Richard. Can you hear me?”
Using hand signals, Richard directed Lindsay to follow him as he swam away from the wreck and in the general direction of their boat. In a few minutes the machine was working properly again.
“Try your GPS now,” said Lindsay. “If you can hear me.”
“I've recorded the location,” said Richard. “Let's get back to the boat and discuss what just happened. It's getting late anyway.”
....................
“Do you think it was a supermagnet?” asked Richard. “That is what we came here to find.”
“No,” said Lindsay as she removed the diving gear. “I would have detected it long before it could affect the equipment the way it did.”
“Then what was it?” asked Richard. “There's something down there that affected the GPS, the com systems and your machine, and it seemed to be restricted to a generalized area.”
“And if we'd had the rebreathers on auto-cycle they might have malfunctioned too,” said Lindsay. “We'd better keep them on manual controls until we find out what's happening.”
“This is the sort of thing that seems to happen a lot in the triangle,” said Richard. “But we're still slightly outside the boundary.”
“Maybe we're seeing the cause of those mysterious happenings but on a much smaller scale,” said Lindsay. “I'm not going to take the machine back down there. It doesn't work when we're near the anomaly and I'm afraid we might damage it if we get too close.”
“Other than a strong electromagnetic field, what else could cause the problems we saw today?” asked Richard as he stepped into the shower.
“That's a very good question,” replied Lindsay. “There isn't anything that the machine shouldn't have detected long before it caused problems.”
“Obviously there is,” said Richard.
“No known phenomenon,” said Lindsay. “We're searching for the unknown.”
....................
“Dinner was delicious,” said Richard. “Would you like some more wine?”
“Just a little,” said Lindsay as she watched the sunset from the deck of the boat. “It was a wonderful idea to eat on deck.”
“Nothing like a sunset and a summer breeze to take your mind off your work,” said Richard. “I'll clear the table and put on some music. Just relax and enjoy your wine.”
....................
“Good morning, Richard,” said Lindsay. “I don't even remember coming to bed last night.”
“You fell asleep on deck right after dinner,” said Richard. “I carried you to bed.”
“Did I drink that much wine?” asked Lindsay.
“You were just tired,” said Richard. “We had a busy day.”
“So what's the plan today?” asked Lindsay. “Investigate the anomaly or go for the gold.”
“I say we study the anomaly,” said Richard. “If we can figure it out, we might still be able to use your machine to find the gold.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” said Lindsay. “Any ideas on how to study the anomaly?”
“I've hooked our com system up to the onboard radio,” said Richard. “We should hear a change in the sound when we are nearing the boundary of the phenomenon.”
“We'll still be able to communicate, won't we?” asked Lindsay.
“You'll just have to talk over the music,” said Richard. “Once we've mapped the boundary, we simply move in to the center of the phenomenon and search for the cause.”
“After breakfast, we'll get started,” said Lindsay. “Toast and coffee?”
“And some cereal,” said Richard. “We'll need our energy.”
....................
“Let's move the boat closer to the phenomenon,” said Richard. “I'd like to see how that wreck shows up on sonar.”
“Good idea,” said Lindsay. “And it'll shorten our swim. Just make sure it doesn't interfere with our onboard electronics.”
....................
“Are you sure these are the GPS coordinates?” asked Lindsay. “I don't see anything unusual on sonar.”
“We'll know in a minute,” said Richard. “Are you ready to dive?”
“There it is, big as life,” said Lindsay after entering the water. “This doesn't make a lot of sense.”
“The phenomenon must be scattering the sonar,” said Richard. “But how?”
“Well, let's find the center,” said Lindsay. “Head for the bottom.”
....................
“It looks like a perfect circle,” said Richard. “And the wreck isn't in the center.”
“So it's not causing the phenomenon,” said Lindsay. “Where is the center?”
“Follow me,” said Richard. “We probably won't be able to communicate verbally, so stay close.”
“I wonder if it's buried beneath the sand?” thought Lindsay. “All I see on the surface are a few oysters.”
Lindsay got Richard's attention and began swimming toward the surface.
“What's she up to?” thought Richard. “I'd better follow her.”
“We're clear of the distortion,” said Lindsay. “It's not just a circle. The affected area is a sphere. Judging from the distance to the bottom, I'd say the anomaly is on or very near the ocean floor.”
“Good work,” said Richard. “Let's collect anything we can find and bring it back to the boat.”
“What if it interferes with the boat's electronics?” asked Lindsay.
“Then we'll put it in the lead lined sample box I have onboard,” said Richard. “If that doesn't dampen the effect, we'll tow it in the dingy.”
“If nothing else, we'll have oysters for dinner,” said Lindsay. “Let's do it.”
....................
“Aside from the oysters, these four rocks were the only things we found,” thought Richard. “I'll inflate the balloon and send the samples to the surface. We'll wait here and if the audio distortion ends, we'll know that we found the anomaly.”
Lindsay watched as the sample bag drifted upwards. In a moment the audio began to clear up. “Well, we've got it,” said Lindsay. “Any guess as to whi
ch rock is causing all the commotion?”
“Not a clue,” said Richard. “None of them looked special to me. Let's get up there and find out.”
....................
“I'm going to place them into the lead lined sample box, one at a time,” said Richard. “We'll see which one is causing the problem.”
SCIENCE FICTION SHORT STORIES VOLUME IX Page 3